Summer’s over, and the rent is still too damn high - GGWash housing digest
Image by Max Pixel licensed under Creative Commons.
Summer is over, local governments are back from their recesses, and housing is still unaffordable for many of us in the region. Check out what we've been reading, writing, and doing this month at GGWash as we prepare for a fall and winter full of advocacy.
What we're writing @GGWash
“Instant neighborhoods” don’t make for great cities, but DC insists on them
Certain corners of DC are adding dozens of apartment towers, while other neighborhoods look much the same as they have for decades. This imbalance erodes our physical, economic, and social diversity, yet planning policies explicitly encourage this pattern. Read more »
There’s no silver bullet to make cities affordable, but you need these four things
Creating cities where people of all incomes can live reasonably close to where they work is increasingly the preeminent challenge of our time. Cities need a comprehensive policy approach – there’s no single solution that gets us out of this. Read more »
How segregation shaped DC’s northernmost ward
DC’s Ward 4 is today home to numerous racially diverse neighborhoods, despite the area's history of segregation. Originally much of its housing was legally required to be occupied solely by white residents. Read more »
What we're reading (besides GGWash)
- If you're only going to read one article about making cities affordable… (Shelterforce) Venerable housing leader Rick Jacobus' tour-de-force take on the fundamental arguments and tensions of making cities affordable places to live. A must read.
- Stop blaming sub-prime mortgages for the Great Recession (Quartz) A different take on why the housing bubble burst in 2008, pointing the blame instead at wealthier homeowners with multiple homes.
- What's been going on under the hood at Carson's HUD? (New York Magazine) A deep, and deeply concerning, dive into culture and consequences of Ben Carson's Department of Housing and Urban Development. Oof.
What we're doing: Organizing with neighbors
Background: For nearly a decade GGWash has facilitated discussion and catalyzed action through the blog around key transportation and development issues affecting our region. We're continuing to do that and also providing grassroots and digital advocacy support for groups of readers and supporters as they engage in local efforts to bring more homes and more affordable homes to their neighborhoods.
Update: So far supporters in Adams Morgan, Anacostia, Bloomingdale, Arlington and Alexandria are getting organized and discussing strategy to support the housing their neighborhoods and cities need. Want to know more? Sign up to receive updates for efforts near you, and reach out if you have an issue you'd like to work on! dwhitehead@ggwash.org
What you can do
Sign up to get involved in local organizing efforts near you!
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