Providing housing options that meet people’s needs across a range of ages, incomes, and family sizes is essential to an inclusive and economically prosperous D.C. region.
Building more housing near transit, expanding the variety of housing choices available, and preserving and building affordable housing will allow us to meet our region’s growing housing needs while creating sustainable, diverse, and thriving communities.
Allow a variety of housing options
The demand to live in walkable, transit-connected communities near Metro stations is high. This and recurring opposition to infill development have led to too little supply and high prices for homes near transit.
Allowing a wider variety of housing options near transit and commercial corridors increases the supply of needed housing and will help bring down housing prices and create more equitable access for households of different incomes, ages, and family sizes.
Preserve and build affordable housing
Even with abundant housing options, additional policies are needed to help us bridge the gap where housing costs are too expensive for working families and people on fixed incomes. Preserving existing affordable housing and building new affordable housing ensures everyone has access to safe, affordable housing, provides economic opportunity for all, reduces the risk of displacement, and supports diverse, vibrant communities,
We urge the Zoning Commission not to further shrink the housing capacity of the site, and to accommodate its other essential uses – a new police station and fire station. This is an important public land site for needed affordable housing. The proposed text amendment is a reasonable approach to making the most of the opportunity for new housing, supporting new public facilities, while also being respectful of the desires of nearby neighbors.
How can we build more homes while ensuring neighborhood-friendly buildings and great public spaces? Emerging approaches to zoning offer simpler rules for creating great places, while reducing delay, uncertainty, and the cost of new housing.
We ask the DC Council to support the Emergency Rental Assistance Reform Amendment Act (B25-994) to avert a crisis driven by unprecedented levels of unpaid rent. The bill would ensure that DC law establishes the right incentives to bring tenants and housing providers together to save and stabilize at-risk housing to serve low income DC residents.
The County Council and Montgomery Planning have announced dates for six upcoming attainable housing listening sessions. Make your voice heard in support of more housing options for Montgomery County—register today to attend an attainable housing listening session!
