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.
Latest Happenings
CSG support for ZC 19-10 Consolidated PUD Valor Lady Bird project
Phil Mendelson added important affordable housing language to the Comp Plan, but some are trying to undo it By David Alpert (Executive Director) October 7, 2019, Greater Greater Washington ...On October 2, Chairman Phil Mendelson’s latest draft of the plan’s Framework Element added language similar to those principles, especially around building and preserving affordable housing and protecting tenants
Press Release DC HOUSING PRIORITIES COALITION CONTACT Cheryl Cort, Coalition for Smarter Growth: 202-251-7516; cheryl@smartergrowth.net Courtney Battle, HAND: 202-384-3764; cbattle@handhousing.org Affordable Housing Groups Praise Council Chairman’s Comprehensive Plan Bill Washington, D.C. - October 3, 2019 - Today a coalition of affordable housing stakeholders applaud critical revisions to the draft Comprehensive
D.C. Council advances key comp plan changes in bid to ease activists' concerns By Alex Koma – Staff Reporter, Washington Business Journal, 10/3/2019 Final changes to the first section of the D.C. comprehensive plan are taking shape, and it seems District lawmakers have acquiesced to the demands of activists and some city leaders
LOCAL COMMENTARY Guest Commentary: A Tour of West Falls Church & the Railroad Cottages September 27, 2019, by FCNP.com, the Falls Church News-Press By Stewart Schwartz & Sonya Breehey The best way to understand how to make our communities more sustainable and livable, is to get out and walk. That’s
