Posts by Alex Baca — DC Policy Director
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Watch: DC Council Chair and Mayoral candidates’ in-person forum on transportation
Find out what this year’s candidates for DC Council Chair and Mayor think about transportation issues. Keep reading…
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Spring training: an explainer on the District’s budgeting process
If you find DC’s budget a little opaque, you’re not alone: GGWash’s Alex Baca will walk you through the basics and how you can share your thoughts on how we spend public funds in this video from our policy team’s recent workshop. Keep reading…
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Watch: Ward 5 DC Council candidates’ forum on transportation
DC’s Ward 5 voters will elect a new Councilmember this year for the first time in ten years. Watch candidates discuss their transportation priorities at a recent forum co-hosted by GGWash’s policy team, WABA, and our partners. Keep reading…
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Oversight testimony 101
Curious about the world of providing testimony for council oversight of your favorite DC agencies? Check out the video from GGWash’s oversight testimony workshop. Keep reading…
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Bright spots in 2021: Laying groundwork for more, and more affordable, housing
Despite challenges, 2021 was also marked by meaningful bright spots in housing advocacy thanks to the support of the GGWash community. This is the first in a two-part reflection on what went right over the course of this year. Keep reading…
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Here’s what GGWash’s advocacy team said at the DDOT Director’s confirmation hearing
Last week, the Council’s Transportation and Environment Committee held a confirmation hearing for Mayor Muriel Bowser’s appointment of Everett Lott as DDOT Director. Here is why GGWash and DCST support Lott’s appointment. Keep reading…
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A vision for an affordable and accessible Eckington deferred
It has been four years since many of Eckington’s residents and its Advisory Neighborhood Commissioners came together to craft a vision for how we want growth to happen in our neighborhood in the next 10 years. But despite countless hours spent over these four years to define and advocate for an affordable future for Eckington through amendments we wrote to the 2006 Comprehensive Plan, DC Council Chairman Phil Mendelson is pushing to override our neighborhood’s wishes in one stroke of his pen. Keep reading…
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Here’s what GGWash’s advocacy team asked the DC Council to pay attention to during its performance oversight hearings
Right before the District’s budget season, the DC Council holds performance oversight hearings, where councilmembers question the agencies they oversee, including the District Department of Transportation, the Office of Planning, and the Department of Housing and Community Development. GGWash’s Advocacy team provided testimony at several key hearings. Here’s what they had to say. Keep reading…
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It’s time to think about single-family homes differently
This week, GGWash hosted a talk with Diana Lind about her book, ”Brave New Home: Our Future in Smarter, Simpler, Happier Housing,” and the challenges single-family homes pose on the region’s, and the country’s, housing crisis. Here’s a recap of the event. Keep reading…
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How Cleveland Park’s historic district cost the neighborhood 42 homes in one project
Cleveland Park is one of several places in the District where the Office of Planning has proposed amendments to the Future Land Use Map to enable the potential future development of more housing in desirable neighborhoods. Even after navigating the zoning process to appeal for a higher-density allowance, new projects in Cleveland Park will still have to conform to the limitations of the neighborhood’s historic district, which, in addition to its goal of preserving history, was designed specifically to limit that exact kind of density. Keep reading…