More than a decade after the Brookings Institution released the seminal Region Divided report, the Washington region is still divided, with parts of D.C. and the east side of the region not sharing in the prosperity of our economy.
Despite some progress in the last decade, many eastern communities continue to fall on the wrong side of the regional divide with slow job growth, poorly performing schools, high crime, and a devastating home foreclosure crisis. Meanwhile, even in wealthier communities throughout the region many families struggle to keep up with rising housing costs, a situation made even worse by the a lack of diversity in housing types and transit-oriented development.
Addressing this challenge is the most important mission of CSG. With our focus integrating the interconnected issues of land use, housing, and transportation, we are uniquely situated to address this divide through changes in infrastructure policies and our work in local communities across the region. Providing more housing options close to jobs in job-rich areas, creating incentives for jobs to be focused at underdeveloped Metro stations on the east side of the region, focusing businesses in transit-accessible locations, and linking affordable housing and transit, are among the key solutions.
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We strongly support adoption of all eight Zoning for Housing proposals including the proposed zoning text amendments, housing master plan updates, and city policy updates. The city is to be credited for its extensive public engagement and the staff are to be credited for their detailed analysis of where the zoning code, plans and policies can be modified. In the end this is a modest package but one which will help to address the housing crisis.
The proposed zoning changes include making it easier to build in multifamily zones, allowing two-, three- or four-unit dwellings in single-family zones, expanding housing opportunities in transit-oriented development and eliminating minimum parking requirements near transit.
Ward 3 residents like you have been urging the city to act boldly and build significant dedicated affordable, mixed income housing above the Chevy Chase community center and library. Opponents, however, are pushing back. That’s why we need you to show up at one of these two community meetings.
September 29, 2023 Attorney General Brian Schwalb, District of Columbia 400 6th Street, NW, Washington, DC 20001 RE: Providence Hospital - Support for mixed income housing and parks at former hospital site Dear Attorney General Schwab:: Please accept this letter on behalf of the Coalition for Smarter Growth (CSG). CSG
We are pleased to express our support for the revised Development Guidelines for the commercial areas on Connecticut Avenue in the Cleveland Park and Woodley Park Historic Districts. The revised Development Guidelines will help us meet the Comprehensive Plan goals of increasing housing, and improving the mix of uses, while ensuring building forms that integrate with the historic districts and foster a people-friendly streetscape around the Cleveland Park and Woodley Park Metro stations.
