Posts by Jenny Schuetz — Contributor
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The Great Recession, COVID-19, interest hikes left a 15-year mark on housing
The US has seen three major economic events in the last 15 years: the Great Recession, COVID-19, and 2022’s interest rate hikes. All three have affected the number of mortgages issues in the region, along with those mortgages’ monetary value. This article takes a closer look at how things have changed over the last decade and a half. Keep reading…
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Commuters in the region continue to choose gridlock
Around 80% of commuters in the region still drive alone or carpool, compared to around 15% who ride public transit. But transit ridership is much higher in Greater Washington than in most US cities. Keep reading…
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The rapid rise of pro-housing groups in the US
A growing number of pro-housing groups, many focused on local politics, are popping up across the country. Keep reading…
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Where the region is building housing, and what it means for the climate
The region offers a useful lens on how development patterns over the past three decades have impacted both climate concerns and housing affordability. Keep reading…
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Here are the housing challenges Virginia’s next governor will have to face
Even before the COVID-19 pandemic, Richmond had one of the highest eviction rates in the country, especially in historically Black neighborhoods. As Virginia voters prepare to choose a new governor this November, they should evaluate the candidates’ plans to address housing challenges. Keep reading…
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What pre-pandemic job trends say about the region’s post-pandemic future
While the long-term economic impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic are still uncertain, the sharp increase in remote work has raised some fundamental questions about the geography of jobs and the demand for both housing and commercial real estate. Keep reading…
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Satellite data shows where there’s room for more housing
Over the past 30 years, housing construction in the region has barely kept pace with population and job growth, while housing prices have grown faster than household incomes. Keep reading…
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What if DC were all single-family houses?
American urbanists are starting to realize there’s a problem with single-family-exclusive zoning. But is it a problem in DC? For a thought experiment, let’s turn it around: what if all residential land in the District allowed nothing but single-family homes? Keep reading…
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“Gentle” density can save our neighborhoods
A year ago this month, Minneapolis made national headlines by adopting a new comprehensive plan with two objectives: reducing racial segregation and improving housing affordability. Its method for doing so was through zoning—the plan effectively banned single-family-exclusive zoning by allowing three-family buildings in all residential neighborhoods across the city. Keep reading…
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Democratic presidential hopefuls take aim at housing reform. What does that mean for our region?
At the top of any Washington region constituent’s concerns is the high and increasing cost of housing. Over the past 20 years, increases in house prices have far exceeded residents’ increases in income. These concerns are just as elevated in the metro’s urban core—the District, Arlington and Alexandria—as they are in the suburbs and exurbs. Keep reading…