Three months of organizing urbanists, and one historic night (morning) - GGWash housing digest
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We're through the first three months of the year and a lot has been happening. Take a moment to catch up on historic preservation, competition over a football stadium, growth in Reston, redlining, segregation, and more. Don't forget to celebrate the massive turnout for the hearing on DC's Conmprehensive Plan, and continue to take action with GGWash to make sure our growing region has enough homes and affordable homes for everyone.
If you haven't already, sign up for our regular advocacy updates so you don't miss out on action opportunities in your area.
What we're writing at GGWash
Is anything old not “historic”? Preservation doesn't have a good answer
DC's historic preservation office continues to march forward with designating properties as historic. But is anything old not historic? Recent cases, and conversations with preservationists, leaves no real clarity about whether there are any bounds to preservation. Read more »
DC, Maryland, and Virginia shouldn’t compete over a new football stadium
Official plans for a new football stadium to replace FedEx Field are still a decade away, but recently a bipartisan group of legislators from Maryland, Virginia, and DC have introduced legislation that would prevent the three regions from engaging in a bidding war using public money. Read more »
Let Fairfax County officials know: Reston isn’t finished yet
Reston is a great place to live and work, but will we allow it to grow? Current proposals aimed at helping Reston develop into its original vision are still under threat over fears of tall buildings and new neighbors. Let county officials hear from you today so they hear support for smart and sustainable growth in Reston's village centers. Read more »
What we're reading (besides GGWash)
- Redlining's effects are still around, and in fact redlining is still happening (Washington Post) Recent studies show that the effects of redlining have been incredibly long-lasting, and in fact some racist practices are still unchanged.
- One way to fight segregation: Upper Northwest DC just needs to build more homes (WAMU) The DC Policy Center's new study makes some clear assertions about the state of segregation in DC. It also offers clear solutions, such as building more densely in DC's neighborhoods that have lately built few or zero new homes.
- Millennials will spend almost half of their money on rent before they are 30 (Housing Wire) While avocado toast accounts for almost 15 percent of a typical millennial's income, it turns out that rent takes up the lion's share. One study estimates that 45 percent of a typical millennial's cumulative income will go into rent before they reach their third decade.
What we're doing: Testifying about the DC Comprehensive Plan
DC is amending its Comprehensive Plan, a massive land use and planning document that guides the growth of the city for decades to come. GGWash has been writing and organizing about needed changes to the Comp Plan for almost two years, and this last month the DC Council held its first public hearing on potential amendments.
It was a historic event — 275 witnesses signed up to testify, the second most in the history of DC Council hearings. More than 50 GGWash readers and supporters were among them, many waiting well past midnight to call for a Comp Plan that truly plans for enough homes for our growing population, enough affordable homes so everyone can live here, and that protects existing residents against displacement.
Read some of their testimonies here, and stay tuned! The DC Council will vote on this important document in the coming months. Sign the DC Housing Priorities Coalition's statement to support our efforts and stay updated as things progress.
What you can do