Housing Framework for Equity and Growth

Check out our new Housing DC website here

On May 10, 2019, Mayor Bowser signed an order directing District agencies to address housing affordability in the District of Columbia. The Housing Framework for Equity and Growth is our response to Mayor Bowser’s bold call to action. To start, the District needs to create 36,000 new residential units by 2025 with at least 12,000 affordable for low-income residents to ensure all residents can live in the city without being burdened by housing costs. An additional 6,000 affordable homes need to be preserved. Learn more about the Mayor’s Order on Housing here.

Washington, DC has grown significantly over the last decade and will continue to grow at a historic pace. Everyone, particularly our low-income residents, is paying more for housing. The current distribution of affordable housing is concentrated in some parts of the city while very limited in others. We have one of the most robust sets of affordable housing policies in the country with the largest per capita housing trust fund of any city in the United States. However, we know our current policies alone are not enough to encourage fair and affordable housing growth.

Achieving the Mayor’s ambitious goal requires the District to think differently about housing development. Working with multiple agencies across District Government and external stakeholders, the Office of Planning (OP) and Department of Housing and Community Development (DHCD) will conduct the Housing Framework for Equity and Growth, an in-depth housing systems analysis, to ensure all residents can access and afford housing across all areas of the city. Bold action to address housing affordability requires the entire city’s input and energy; throughout the summer, we will be engaging residents on their needs to guide our work.

Housing Framework for Equity and Growth

The Housing Framework for Equity and Growth is an analysis intended to inform how we produce more affordable and market rate housing in the District. It will help us understand the needs and challenges driving current housing production. This analysis will create more equitable distribution goals for housing production and development by examining public policies and regulations, market forces, and community dynamics.

Increased housing production and preservation are required to address growth and ensure Washington, DC lives up to its values of a diverse and inclusive city. OP and DHCD will develop policies and approaches for each planning area and establish metrics to evaluate progress.

Learn more about the Housing Framework for Equity and Growth in our brochure.

Learn more about the community engagement we conducted throughout the summer and our survey findings by visiting our Housing DC website.

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Housing and Housing Related Data

Learn more about the District’s current state of housing using the links below.

Current Distribution of Income-Restricted Affordable Housing in the District
Income-Restricted Affordable Housing by ANC
DC Office of Planning State Data Center Data Visualization Portal
DMPED Economic Intelligence Dashboard

Additional Housing Information and Programs

Learn more about the District’s current state of housing using the links below:

Housing Types in the District
Accessory Apartment Opportunities in the District
Inclusionary Zoning – OP recommends potential amendments to the Zoning Commission and assists the Zoning Administrator and DHCD on the administration of the program.
Housing + Transportation Index – With the help of the Center for Neighborhood Technology (CNT), OP studied the relative housing and transportation costs across the DC metropolitan area.