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As every local resident knows, it is increasingly difficult to find affordable housing in the Washington DC Metropolitan region. Families, young adults, single people and the elderly aren't finding the convenient and affordable housing choices that they need and want. Future competition for housing is projected to get even more fierce: in 2005, the ULI "Reality Check" visioning exercise estimated that 833,000 new housing units would be needed to keep pace with job growth and demand.
Truly smart growth incorporates housing choices for a mix of household types at a wide range of income levels. The two key ways to achieve this are:
1) Creating new units of housing close to transportation
2) Preserving existing housing stock as infill redevelopment happens
Where we create housing is just as important as what we create. Housing choices need to be spread throughout the region, near transit and jobs. Working creatively with local governments, communities and other stakeholders, we can promote transit-oriented development and mixed-use to take cars off the road and to increase more families' quality of life. We can transform underutilized parking lots, strip malls and office clusters to help create a true, equitable balance for all communities across the region.