We are pleased to see a major commitment to affordable housing production and preservation in the proposed budget, and urge you to support these appropriations in full. The Housing Initiative Fund and Non-Profit Preservation Fund are essential tools to sustain the work of affordable housing providers. Providing robust funding to these initiatives must be a priority to ensure that we do not let opportunities to provide affordable housing slip through the cracks. The level of annual funding proposed in this year’s CIP appropriately reflects the urgency of our housing shortage and the scale of our housing need, and should represent a benchmark for future years.
Category: Testimony & Letters
Testimony: Reducing parking requirements for affordable housing near transit (DC, Support with amendments)
We wish to express our support for Case No. 23-17 in two ways.
1) We support the recommended text amendment to reduce parking requirements for publicly assisted affordable dwelling units near transit, though we urge the commission to revise upward the threshold for relieving small projects of a parking requirement burden to 50 units rather than the 40 units proposed.
2) We ask the Zoning Commission to take a more significant step by eliminating parking requirements for affordable housing units, at least near transit.
Testimony: Takoma Park Minor Master Plan Amendment (Support)
We support the draft Takoma Park Minor Master Plan Amendment, which outlines a vision for an inclusive, environmentally resilient, and vibrant community with improved access to parks and amenities and an abundance of housing that supports the continued affordability and unique diversity of this plan area.
Joint Comments: TopGolf Site (Fairfax, Support)
Please accept these comments on behalf of the Coalition for Smarter Growth, Northern Virginia Affordable Housing Alliance, South County Task Force, Fairfax Alliance for Better Bicycling, Washington Area Bicyclist Association, Nature Forward, and YIMBYs of NOVA. We write to express our support for the proposed redevelopment of the Top Golf site in Kingstowne and urge you to vote in favor of the plan amendment (PA-2015-IV-RH1).
Comments on TPB’s January 2024 meeting
On your agenda today are two items where you can make more progress and ensure that you are meeting the very laudable commitments that you set. I will note another item on the agenda is the resilience work that TPB is doing which has been really outstanding and we look forward to seeing more of the results.
Testimony: Eliminating parking requirements near transit (Montgomery County, Support)
Eliminating mandatory parking minimums in locations with great access to transit is a common-sense fix. It aligns our parking policies with the goals of the Thrive 2050 General Plan, and will create more affordable housing opportunities and provide more options for sustainable living.
Comments: Proposed NVTC FY24-25 Work Plan
The Coalition for Smarter Growth appreciates the opportunity to provide feedback on the Northern Virginia Transportation Commission’s (NVTC’s) proposed 2024-2025 Work Plan. Our mission is to promote walkable, inclusive transit-friendly communities as the most sustainable and equitable way for the region to grow and prosper, and we appreciate the important work of NVTC.
CSG testimony to Prince George’s House Delegation for 2024 session
Overall, CSG urges the delegation to act through legislation, administrative oversight, and budget oversight to prioritize transit, and redirect highway capacity expansion projects to sustainable multimodal transportation solutions. We also urge support for Rental Housing Works to ensure Prince George’s has the resources it needs for its robust affordable housing program.
Testimony: Support for bills voiding exclusionary covenants (B25-480, 482, 481)
We wish to express our support for B25-480, B25-482, and B25-481. We commend Councilmember Frumin and the other co-sponsors for bringing this legislation forward. This legislation advances the immediate goal of clearing obstacles to adding approximately 100 units of affordable housing for households earning 30-80 percent median family income to the Chevy Chase library site. Our affordable housing goals for the site is part of a shared statement with Washington Interfaith Network (WIN) and Ward3Vision.
Testimony: Opposition to Removing Transportation Planning Authority from MoCo Planning
CSG strongly opposes this bill, in particular the content of section 21-08. Transportation, land use, and housing decisions are intertwined. Decisions about transportation greatly affect our quality of life, shape how we move through our communities, and carry major equity and climate implications.