So, what is GGWash doing about housing?
Image by Dan Reed.
I've been at this job for over a year now and I still run into regular Greater Greater Washington readers who ask: “So, what are you guys doing about housing again?” With that in mind, welcome to the first semi-regular GGWash housing digest, where I'll share what we are reading, writing, and doing and what you can do with us to make the region a more inclusive, walkable and affordable place.
What we're writing @GGWash
Land use policy can push for an inclusive city. Ours does not.
DC’s Comprehensive Plan has too many parts that, in the hands of exclusionary and anti-development neighbors, are the means to push all of DC’s growth and change onto other, typically poorer, parts of the city. Read more »
4 ways to retain affordable housing when the Purple Line comes
The right housing policies to go along with it the project (a housing trust fund, lower parking minimums, inclusionary zoning, and more housing density) would stave off the risk of displacing resident. Read more »
Montgomery County rejects incentives to build more affordable housing in Bethesda
Due to pressure from neighbors, the County Council voted to allow less affordable housing and shorter buildings. Read more »
What we're reading (besides GGWash)
- YIMBY movement in Austin is maturing. (Next City) Great analysis of Austin politics and context, and how YIMBY advocates are starting to influence the city.
- Not everyone likes YIMBYism. (Jacobim) This writer sure doesn't, but has some reasonable critiques.
- “Liberals are the part of the problem” - a liberal (Market Urbanism Report) When it comes to housing in high-cost, fast growing cities, one liberal says that liberals hold conflicting views that contradict each other.
What we're doing: Amending the Comprehensive Plan
Background: DC's Comprehensive Plan is a 600+ page planning document that is supposed to guide the city's growth for the upcoming decades and is particularly influential in terms of land-use and housing. Since last summer, GGWash has been convening a diverse group of stakeholders to draft and submit amendments to Comprehensive Plan, on a basic platform: we need to
- build more homes
- build and preserve more affordable homes
- protect residents from displacement.
Update: We submitted our 40+ pages of detailed amendments in June. The Office of Planning is reviewing all of the public amendments submitted (over 3,000 this year) and will tell us which have been accepted/rejected in the fall. We are continuing to advocate for the amendment package and the policies in it during this time, discussing with city leaders what we hope to see change in the Comp Plan.
What you can do
Now that you're caught up on the Comp Plan, you can send letters of support for the amendment package the working group drafted. Ask city leaders to prioritize more housing, more affordable housing, and practices that mitigate displacement!
Send letters of support for the amendment package
Don't want to miss other advocacy updates? Join our advocacy email list, or donate to support our work!