Posts tagged Housing Shortage
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We’re joining DC’s Reclaim Rent Control coalition. Here’s why.
DC will soon renew its rent stabilization policy, which limits the amount rent can increase in older apartment buildings of a certain size. Last year, in anticipation of this, a coalition called the Reclaim Rent Control was formed to push for a more expansive policy. Keep reading…
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A Virginia delegate just proposed a state-wide upzoning bill
Virginia House Delegate Ibraheem Samirah, who represents parts of Fairfax and Loudoun counties, has introduced a bill that would legalize duplex homes across the commonwealth in any area currently zoned for single-family housing. Like much of the region, Virginia faces a dire shortage of affordable homes, and Amazon’s arrival in the Crystal City area could make the crunch even worse in the years to come. 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…
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Montgomery may charge a “teardown” fee to fund schools and affordable housing. Here’s what you should know.
This past Tuesday, Montgomery County Councilmember Evan Glass introduced the Housing Impact Fairness Act which would apply impact fees to newly-rebuilt homes, sometimes called “teardowns.” The councilmember claims the bill could raise $100 million in new revenue for school construction and affordable housing. Keep reading…
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DC wants more affordable housing in wealthy neighborhoods, per its newly-released targets
On Tuesday, DC released targets for affordable housing production by neighborhood planning area, which are similar to wards but don’t change with population shifts. Mayor Muriel Bowser committed to building 36,000 new units by 2025 in her inauguration speech, and these targets show where a third of this total, the affordable units, will go. Keep reading…
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Restrictive zoning is impeding DC’s goal to build more housing, research shows
Mayor Muriel Bowser kicked off her second term as Washington, D.C.’s mayor last January by setting an ambitious goal for the District: building 36,000 new homes by 2025. To reduce the likelihood that new construction will displace lower-income and minority communities, the mayor challenged “every ward and every neighborhood” to pitch in toward the city-wide goal. Keep reading…
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We asked Ward 2 council candidates about housing issues. Here’s what they said.
The GGWash elections committee is currently in the process of endorsing a candidate for the Ward 2 council seat in advance of the June 2020 election. As part of this process, we sent a questionnaire to each candidate who has filed to run. Our questionnaire contained three sections, covering the broad issues that we routinely cover on the blog and around which we regularly advocate: housing, transportation, and land use. Keep reading…
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There should be more subsidized housing in wealthy parts of DC, survey takers say
Residents think there needs to be more affordable housing west of Rock Creek Park and in other wealthy areas, a new DC survey shows. The Department of Housing and Community Development (DHCD) and the Office of Planning (OP) released the results of the survey it conducted over the summer to the public at Ron Brown High School this past Saturday, September 21. Keep reading…
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The region urgently needs more homes. Why not adopt housing targets—with teeth?
The region needs to build 374,000 housing units by 2030. Most of them—preferably, three-quarters of them—need to be affordable. Otherwise, housing costs will ascend from merely expensive to stratospheric, tons of households (about 220,000) will be displaced, and the economy might slow down to a sludge. Keep reading…
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The NoMa BID wrote an open letter about homeless encampments. What do you think of it?
On Wednesday, August 21 the NoMa Business Improvement District (BID) released an open letter expressing frustration about underpass encampments in the area. People walking or otherwise traveling from east to west sides of the neighborhood have to go under these underpasses. They’re a common spot for people experiencing homelessness to sleep and camp. Keep reading…