Affordable Housing

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


Support affordable housing in public lands, B20-594 & Amend bill to shorten affordability terms B20-604

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Please accept these comments on behalf of the Coalition for Smarter Growth (CSG). The Coalition for Smarter Growth is the leading organization working locally in the Washington, D.C. metropolitan region dedicated to making the case for smart growth. Our mission is to promote walkable, inclusive, and transit-oriented communities, and the land use and transportation policies and investments needed to make those communities flourish.

Amend B20-604, “Affordable Homeownership Preservation and Equity Accumulation Amendment Act of 2013”

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The “Affordable Homeownership Preservation and Equity Accumulation Amendment Act of 2013,” Council Bill 20-604, over time could reduce the amount of resources available for future housing needs by shrinking how much of the public’s investment in affordable housing is preserved. While the bill currently proposed would make several changes that would exclude many current affordable homeownership organization’s efforts, amendments to reverse these proposed changes have been agreed to by the key supporters of the bill with the Coalition for Non-Profit Housing and Economic Development (CNHED).

DC AHA Briefing: Local Rent Supplement Program

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LRSP is a tool being used to provide housing for District residents with extremely low incomes, including those with special needs. It does so by preserving and producing affordable housing, and by providing direct rental assistance in the form of vouchers.

DC AHA Briefing: Zoning for Housing Choices

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After decades of decline, DC is growing rapidly. Last year, the city added 13,022 residents. Housing permits in the last few years have jumped -- 3,200-4,600 units/year for 2011 to 2013, up from the peak of 2,800 in 2005.

DC AHA Briefing: Shared Equity – Ensuring DC homeownership benefits residents

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Shared equity defined: A shared equity approach balances two competing but valid public objectives in affordable homeownership programs: wealth creation and preservation of housing affordability.