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.
Category: Affordable Housing
Testimony: Emergency Rental Assistance Reform Amendment Act of 2024 (Support, DC)
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.
Emergency Rental Assistance Reform Emergency Amendment Act of 2024 – support
by Enterprise Community Partners, Sept. 30, 2024
Get ready for attainable housing listening sessions!
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!
We won a future of more homes in the right places – Chevy Chase and U Street!
Thanks to advocates like you, the DC Zoning Commission made the right decision on July 11 and approved rezoning proposals to add substantially more housing capacity in two sought-after locations in DC: U Street police and fire stations site, and the Chevy Chase civic core and Connecticut Avenue main street below the circle.
Fact Sheet: Attainable Housing – living up to our country’s housing values (Montgomery County)
On June 13, the Montgomery County Planning Board unanimously approved the Attainable Housing Strategies Initiative report. The report recommends allowing more types of housing—like duplexes, triplexes, and townhouses—in neighborhoods that for decades have only allowed single-family detached homes.
Joint Statement: Chevy Chase DC rezoning proposal supports a more inclusive and vibrant community (DC)
Ward3Vision, WIN Ward 3 Congregations Affordable Housing Work Group, and Coalition for Smarter Growth urge adoption of the proposed zoning changes to Chevy Chase’s main street as the critical next step toward achieving a more inclusive and vibrant community.
Event Materials: Affordable Housing Financing 101 (May 2024)
Hear from experts Patrick McAnaney of Somerset Development Company and Chris Gillis of Montgomery Housing Partnership about how affordable housing providers meet financing needs, and how local, state, and federal government can help—as well as a briefing on the County Councils’ work on affordable housing from Council President Andrew Friedson.
Testimony: Department of Housing and Community Development and Housing Production Trust Fund budget
In a challenging budget year, we ask the Committee to maintain its commitment to funding affordable housing production, preservation and essential eviction prevention. Specifically, we request the following.
Tips for testifying in support of an inclusive neighborhood
This is your guide to testifying virtually at the DC Zoning Commission for:
Case No. 23-02: Chevy Chase Neighborhood Mixed Use Zones on April 29, 2024 at 4pm
How to sign up to testify:
In order to testify at the hearing, you MUST sign up to testify at least 24 hours in advance of the hearing date.
- Sign up to testify virtually by April 28 at 4pm at https://dcoz.dc.gov/service/sign-testify
- To sign up you need to search for the hearing date — April 29, state that you are a “proponent” and swear to tell the truth.
- Submit written comments (if you haven’t already sent a letter) in advance of the hearing date. Send an email of your comments to zcsubmissions@dc.gov
- Note: The hearing is 100% virtual. There is no in-person testimony. You can either call or appear on video for your testimony.
What to expect when testifying
- After signing up to testify, you will be sent a link from the D.C. Office of Zoning with the information to log in to view the hearing, and testify when your name is called.
- On April 29, the hearing will start at 4pm, but plan on 5pm to start with proponents’ testimony. At 4pm, the Zoning Commission will discuss preliminary matters, and hear a presentation from the DC Office of Planning. It’s possible that this case could require several public hearings and will not hear from all proponents at the first hearing date.
- Your testimony:
- Prepare to speak for three minutes.
- State that you generally support what’s being proposed. If you want to make suggestions for how something can be better, be sure to always declare your overall support, and then say you have recommendations to make it even better.
- Always be polite and formal, and only speak for your allotted 3 minutes.
- It’s a formal proceeding but the commissioners are very respectful of all the people who make the effort to testify and they generally listen attentively to what you have to say and occasionally have a question for you.
View our full tips for testifying guide:
For more background information, check out our Chevy Chase Zoning Explainer.