Posts about Housing
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Lawns may be green, but they’re terrible for the environment
I made my childhood fortune pulling dandelions. My father saw dandelions as the scourge of his beautiful green lawn. He paid two cents per pulled dandelion, provided the roots came up, too. I had job security because the neighbors let their dandelions go to seed, assuring that there would always be more dandelions for me to pull. Keep reading…
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Why local affordable housing orgs want to expand accessory apartments in Montgomery County
Like much of the United States, Montgomery County is facing a critical housing shortage. Finding healthy, affordable housing near jobs and transit is extremely difficult for many people at varying income levels. But new legislation could help. Keep reading…
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Partap’s the perfect planning pick for Montgomery County
The Montgomery County Council will vote soon to select a new member of the influential Planning Board, as well as for its chair. We think the council should re-appoint chair Casey Anderson, and for the open seat, select Silver Spring resident Partap Verma. Keep reading…
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The Post published an anti-accessory apartment letter with racist & classist claims
On Sunday, June 16, the Washington Post published a letter to the editor from Gaithersburg resident Katherine Gugulis that is riddled with racist and classist assertions. Gugulis was protesting the county’s proposed plan to loosen restrictions on building accessory apartments (also known as Accessory Dwelling Units, Auxiliary Dwelling Units, or ADUs). Keep reading…
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Here’s what Montgomery County Planning Board candidates think
Next week is the biggest election in Montgomery County you can’t vote for. County Councilmembers will vote to appoint new members to the Planning Board, which oversees parks, reviews development proposals, and creates long-term transportation plans. Here’s what each of the candidates have to say about the big issues facing the county. Keep reading…
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Marc Elrich says middle-income housing isn’t a big priority for Montgomery County
Montgomery County Executive Marc Elrich has a history of saying inflammatory things about policy. He did it again Tuesday, when at a housing forum organized by the the Housing Association of Nonprofit Developers (HAND), he pooh-poohed attention to “missing middle” housing, or efforts to encourage the private sector to build homes that middle-income residents can afford. Keep reading…
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Five strategies to help our region’s residents get the housing they need
As regular readers are no doubt aware, the region’s development policies are highly controversial. In the wake of a series of lawsuits that froze the production of thousands of housing units in DC alone, the Urban Land Institute-Washington’s Impact Task Force began asking the question: What would it take to create a planning and approval process that advanced housing affordability while addressing legitimate community concerns? Keep reading…
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Why’s everyone talking about upzoning? It’s the foundation of green, equitable cities.
Though we write about zoning plenty on GGWash, it’s a topic that’s been regarded by the wider public as too wonky, too insider, and too jargon-like to figure into everyday life. But zoning literally is everyday life, because it governs what goes where. And it’s circumstantial to affordability, equality, equity, and the distribution of goods, services, and wealth. Keep reading…
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This map shows even more starkly how inequitably distributed DC’s affordable housing is
In the entirety of Advisory Neighborhood Commission 3C (Woodley Park/Cleveland Park), 3D (Spring Valley/AU Park), 2D (Kalorama), and 2E (Georgetown/Burleith) there are zero “income-restricted” housing units — homes dedicated for people earning below a certain level. Keep reading…
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These 1970s plans show the Silver Spring that could have been
Today, many people might think of Silver Spring as a pretty prosperous place, with a steady stream of restaurant openings, cranes everywhere, and busy sidewalks. But not that long ago, Silver Spring’s future was highly in doubt. These 1970s-era plans from Montgomery County show just how far we’ve come. Keep reading…
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Is Arlington ready to get serious about housing affordability?
Arlington County has a shortage of homes, and with Amazon moving in, that pressure is only increasing. Now the county is asking residents about their housing needs and their ideas to address the crunch as part of its Housing Arlington initiative announced earlier this year. Keep reading…
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DC is on track to cut back this affordable housing preservation tool
The 2020 budget as revised by the DC Council will cut one tool that provides an opportunity for residents to stay in their homes with affordable rents. The Affordable Housing Preservation Fund (AHPF) leverages private dollars to provide timely financing to low-income tenants who are determined to remain in Washington, DC. Keep reading…
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You should pay attention to the Montgomery County Planning Board this summer
Two of the most powerful, influential positions in Montgomery County’s government are up for election this summer. The catch: you can’t vote for them. Here’s why you should pay attention to these contests for Montgomery County Planning Board. Keep reading…
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Are Amazon Ring and other apps making your neighbors more suspicious of outsiders and crime?
The Amazon Ring video doorbell has become increasing popular in many neighborhoods, including where I live in Montgomery County. Everyone wants to be safe, but are Ring and similar services just trying to make us more paranoid? Keep reading…
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At a Reston forum, 5 supervisor candidates range from hostile to cautious about development
The Reston Citizens Association hosted a forum on April 23 for candidates vying to represent the Hunter Mill district, which covers Reston and Vienna in Fairfax County. Most of the questions focused on issues specific to Reston, which is in the midst of a heated debate over new development, zoning code updates, and the future of the community. Keep reading…
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National links: Five ways to experience new cities (and love the one you live in)
Taking in your city in a new way doesn’t have to be a chore—here are five methods to try. Denver may be laying the foundation to get rid of single-family zoning. Bike lanes need more than paint to protect cyclists. Keep reading…
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Affordable housing was a hot topic at the VA House District 49 candidates’ forum
Incumbent Alfonso Lopez and challenger Julius D. “JD” Spain, running for the Democratic nomination in Virginia House of Delegates District 49, took questions from voters at a candidates' forum on the morning of May 11 at Busboys & Poets in Shirlington. Audience questions covered a number of topics, but affordable housing was the single biggest subject of discussion. Keep reading…
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The region has built a lot of housing – but not enough, and not in the right places
Walk through downtown Washington, DC these days, and it looks like we’re in a construction boom. Not exactly. Our new report shows that, over the past 20 years, the region added almost twice as many people as housing units. As in many parts of the US, housing prices have been rising faster than income – a predictable outcome of housing demand outpacing supply. Keep reading…
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Here’s what happens when you try to build 150 apartments in Dupont
At 16th and S streets NW in Dupont Circle is a prominent Masonic building, known officially as the Scottish Rite of Freemasonry temple. The Masons want to redevelop the patch of grass and parking lot behind the building, and they’ve gotten approval from the Dupont Circle Advisory Neighborhood Commission 2B and the Historic Preservation Review Board to do so. Keep reading…
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Housing is a queer issue: DC dykes plan to march against displacement
The Dyke March, a grassroots march for queer liberation led by self-identifying dykes, first started in the District in 1993. It subsequently spread to major cities in North America and the UK, but fizzled out in DC. Now local organizers are bringing it back to the District on June 7 after a more than decade-long hiatus, and their inaugural theme is “Dykes Against Displacement.” Keep reading…