Breakfast links: Housing too hot
Flipped
Some of DC’s newest homeowners are victims of a hot house-flipping market. DC agencies have struggled to regulate the rapidly-growing industry. WAMU’s three part series explores buyers, developers, and the government’s response. (charlie)
Homeownership declines for poor
As home prices in DC tripled over the last 15 years, the homeownership rate for low-income DC residents fell 40%. Overall, fewer people across all income groups own their own homes in DC. (Post)
Woof goes WMATA
Residents in Columbia Heights currently use a WMATA-owned lot as an informal dog park. WMATA says it would allow the city to operate an official, improved dog park there, as long as WMATA retains vehicle site access. (City Paper)
Ticket to ride
Arlington will no longer officially allow the popular Tuesday Night Rides to take place in Ballston without Board approval, even though as many as 500 cyclists turn out to the weekly event and there have been few complaints. (ArlNow)
Correction: an Arlington County representative emailed us saying the issue is that the application came in too late to start in May, but that the rides will likely start in June. The County Board doesn’t handle special event applications.
Think of the children
Today is the fourth annual Bike to School Day in DC. But after years of Bike and Walk to School days, attended by many local politicians, very little has changed to make walking and cycling safer for children. (The Hill is Home, thm)
Budget bites
Prince George’s County Council must decide whether to approve a budget for next year that would save $14.8 million by laying off 110 county workers and furloughing others for 5 days. (Gazette)
If you build it, they will come
A new study by Transportation for America says that while the Purple and Red Lines are expensive, the economic benefits are worth the investments. (WAMU)
Non-gentrifying bridge
An 11th Street Bridge task force is studying public works projects around the country and engaging the surrounding communities in hopes of avoiding displacement of existing residents and businesses. (NextCity)
And…
Heat-related delays are back on MARC. (Post) … DDOT wants input on this community wikimapping project to determine how to make living and traveling in Brookland and Edgewood better. … Would you jump on Metro’s tracks to save a stranger? Meet someone who did. (Post).