In 2006, Inclusionary Zoning (IZ) was adopted unanimously by the City Council, including then-Councilmember Fenty, as a method for generating new affordable housing across DC. The Mayor's administration was supposed to implement this critical law by October 1, 2007 - a deadline that, unfortunately, has come and gone.
Every day the Administration delays this law the city loses affordable housing. We must get Inclusionary Zoning implemented now.
What is Inclusionary Zoning?
Inclusionary Zoning (IZ) requires all new residential developments (of 10 units or more) to set aside 8-10% of the units as affordable for District residents, such as the many people who work in our restaurants, grocery stores and shops. As part the DC Comprehensive Plan, IZ was designed to create affordable housing opportunities throughout the city. The benefits of this approach are clear. IZ:
- is recognized as a national best practice to generate new affordable housing
- provides moderate-income housing across the District
- costs the DC government virtually nothing |
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Press Corner
D.C. still not enforcing year-old affordable housing zoning law
-The Examiner, 1/11/08
Press Release, 1/8/08
City Council Lauded for Action on Affordable Housing Law
Bill Pushes for Start of Housing Program
-NW Current, 1/9/08
City's Regulatory Delay Irks Affordable Housing Groups
-NW Current, 12/26/07
Press Release, 12/17/07: Fenty Administration Stalls Implementation of Affordable Housing Law
Affordable Housing
Not Inclusive
-Loose Lips Column, Washington City Paper, 11/28/07
Elinor Hart's Letter to the Editor, Washington City Paper, 12/17/07
Background
Last December, the D.C. Council, including then Council-member Fenty, voted unanimously to enact Inclusionary Zoning. The many affordable housing advocates who worked tirelessly on this issue over the last three years were promised affordable housing in nearly every new development. This would help create mixed-income communities so more residents could have equitable access to affordable homes, jobs, transit and services across the District.
Inclusionary Zoning would require that any new housing project that builds 10 units or more would have to set aside 8 -10 percent of the homes to be affordable to moderate and low income families.
But the October start date has already passed, and administrative regulations haven’t even been published. We are deeply disappointed that this important affordable housing policy is stalled. After three years of hard work to get the Zoning Commission to adopt a good policy, the new Fenty administration has failed to produce regulations in a timely manner – the very last step of the process. |
