A presentation to the D.C. Campaign for Mandatory Inclusionary Zoning.
Category: Affordable Housing
DC: Testimony in Support of Inclusionary Zoning
Good afternoon. Thank you for the opportunity to testify today. I am speaking on behalf of the Coalition for Smarter Growth, a regional nonprofit based in DC. I would like to express my support for the good work of the Office of Planning. In addition to diligent work on small area plans and development review, the Office of Planning’s major effort to revise and update our outmoded, 1950s zoning code is coming to completion this year. I have appreciated how DCOP has engaged the public through working groups, and provided us with new research and analysis to support a robust discussion. OP’s detailed assessment and proposed code revisions will help us fulfill the 2006 Comprehensive Plan vision to build a sustainable, inclusive city.
Urban Hipsters and Long-time Residents Unite! Housing Strategies to Preserve Mixed Income Neighborhoods as D.C. Grows
How does a growing city ensure that affordable housing is available to its population? As DC gains population for the first time in decades, we must take advantage of creative new tools and cross class and cultural boundaries if the city wants to be affordable for all.

PRINCE GEORGE’S – Building Stronger Communities
Every resident in Prince George’s County deserves a decent, affordable home as the first step to achieving economic security, a higher quality of life and a sense of stability. For the county’s moderate- and low-income households, having and keeping a home within their budget has become increasingly difficult.

D.C. – New Resources for Housing and Homelessness Advocates
The lack of affordable housing has long been a problem in the District. For some residents, this means that they are forced to live in housing that eats up nearly all of their paycheck, leaving little for other basic necessities such as food and clothing. For many others, the cost of housing is so high that they are forced to double up in homes and apartments, move out of their community, or live in their cars or out on the streets.
DC: Skyland Shopping Center
We support the redevelopment proposal for the Skyland Shopping Center. We welcome this mixed use development that provides a modest amount of below market rate housing. Our chief concern is that the project is excessively over-parked – wasting resources on too much parking that could be used for more productive uses.

D.C. – Presentation on Implementing Inclusionary Zoning
This is a presentation to the Council of Non-Profit Housing and Economic Development.

REGIONAL – Urban Land Institute’s “Beltway Burden”
To find affordable homes, many in the workforce have followed the popular advice to “drive till you qualify” by moving to remote suburbs such as Warren and Fauquier counties, VA, in the west; Spotsylvania County, VA, and Charles County, MD, in the south; Frederick County in the north; and Calvert County, MD, in the east. As reflected in this report, however, efforts to save on housing expenses often lead to higher transportation costs, with the result that an even larger portion of household budgets are consumed by the combined burden of housing and transportation costs.

REGIONAL – Toolkit for Affordable Housing Development
The Coalition for Smarter Growth prioritizes the production and preservation of affordable housing, especially with access to transportation choices and jobs, as one critical element of truly interconnected, sustainable communities.

D.C. – Fair Budget Coalition’s Annual Budget Recommendations 2009
The Fair Budget Coalition fights for a just and inclusive District of Columbia through advocacy and organizing and by advancing budget and public policy initiatives which reflect the inter-dependency of the District’s community and economic development systems. Organized in 1994, Fair Budget is a coalition of grassroots community groups, human service providers, advocates, faith organizations, and concerned community members.