Providing housing options that meet people’s needs across a range of ages, incomes, and family sizes is essential to an inclusive and economically prosperous D.C. region.
Building more housing near transit, expanding the variety of housing choices available, and preserving and building affordable housing will allow us to meet our region’s growing housing needs while creating sustainable, diverse, and thriving communities.
Allow a variety of housing options
The demand to live in walkable, transit-connected communities near Metro stations is high. This and recurring opposition to infill development have led to too little supply and high prices for homes near transit.
Allowing a wider variety of housing options near transit and commercial corridors increases the supply of needed housing and will help bring down housing prices and create more equitable access for households of different incomes, ages, and family sizes.
Preserve and build affordable housing
Even with abundant housing options, additional policies are needed to help us bridge the gap where housing costs are too expensive for working families and people on fixed incomes. Preserving existing affordable housing and building new affordable housing ensures everyone has access to safe, affordable housing, provides economic opportunity for all, reduces the risk of displacement, and supports diverse, vibrant communities,
Latest Happenings
We strongly support the proposed ordinance, which proposes to establish a legal permitting process for accessory apartments. We commend the County for recognizing the potential of accessory units as an important opportunity to address the County’s tremendous housing shortfall–for households at all income levels. Accessory Dwelling unit permissions are recognized as a national best practice for mature, single-family housing neighborhoods like in Arlington.
I am here today to speak on two specific tax policy issues, both of which could be targeted to more efficiently support those communities they were created to serve, and to appeal to the City Council to remain especially prudent and careful in exercising tax relief during lean economic cycles such as we are experiencing at the current time.
On January 8, the D.C. City Council voted overwhelmingly to sponsor legislation implementing its Inclusionary Zoning affordable housing law. Championed by Councilmembers Jim Graham and Chairman Vincent Gray, the bill fully reflects the position of the Campaign for Mandatory Inclusionary Zoning, which has repeatedly requested implementation by the Mayor’s office since original enabling legislation was approved in December 2006.
D.C.’s Campaign for Mandatory Inclusionary Zoning is a broad coalition of traditional affordable housing allies along with progressive labor, religious and community-based groups. Over three years, the Campaign worked to achieve an inclusionary zoning policy which was adopted by the D.C. Zoning Commission (the body vested with land use authority in the District of Columbia). In December 2006, the D.C. City Council adopted the necessary legislation to implement the Zoning Commission’s polices, and appropriated money for staffing, but the new Mayor Fenty Administration has yet to issue draft regulations.
Remarkable increases in land values make it more challenging even for nonprofit developers to produce new affordable housing. On public lands, we have a tremendous opportunity to translate that high value into new affordable homes, helping our community realize direct benefits without needing to expend additional tax dollars to achieve them. With specific amendments, this could be truly landmark legislation.
