Activity centers, locations identified as ideal for growth in metropolitan Washington, and areas near high capacity transit can accommodate the additional housing the region needs to address its housing shortage, according to a COG analysis.
In an update to the COG Board of Directors in April, COG planners revealed that the region’s inner jurisdictions have the most capacity to add housing in these types of locations (77 percent), followed by the central jurisdictions (16 percent), and outer jurisdictions (7 percent). COG’s analysis is based on data provided by its member jurisdictions’ planning departments.
Under the direction of the COG Board, local housing and planning directors have been studying what it would take to increase housing beyond what is currently forecast to provide enough housing for the region’s growing workforce. This includes considering the amount, accessibility, and affordability of additional units.
The Region's Housing Shortfall
According to COG’s Cooperative Forecasts, employment growth currently outpaces housing growth in the region. This situation affects the area’s affordability, potentially undercutting its appeal to new companies and talent and necessitating commuting into the region for work, straining the transportation system.
To remedy this, COG identified that the region needs to increase the number of housing units by over 100,000 homes beyond what is planned between now and 2045. In February, COG Planning Directors Committee Chair Andrew Trueblood confirmed existing comprehensive plans could accommodate this additional capacity necessary for sustaining the region’s economic growth and improving quality of life.
For example, according to a presentation by COG Transportation Planning Director Kanti Srikanth, the amount of time people sit in congestion in 2040 could be 20 percent less if the location of jobs and housing were optimized and balanced regionwide.
New Housing Strategy Group
At its April meeting, the COG Board also passed a resolution establishing a Housing Strategy Group. The group, made up of elected officials and appointed by the COG Board Chair Robert C. White, Jr., will focus on impediments to building more housing in the right places, among other duties.
COG Board Member and City of Falls Church Council Member David Snyder spoke in support of the resolution and expressed his hope that barriers, like already strained resources for schools, are prioritized by the group.
“Everything is on the table,” said COG Community Planning and Services Director Paul DesJardin, previewing the end goal. “One of the things the planning directors have talked about is a menu of strategies and policy options that public officials can implement or consider.”
In June, the COG Board will be briefed on the affordability piece of its housing work plan. The discussion is anticipated to cover the appropriate price points and types of homes to meet the needs of the region’s current and future workers and residents.
“As we’re going through the policies…there’s another part of the narrative that needs to happen,” said Penny Gross, COG Board Member and Fairfax County Supervisor. “That’s respect for the people that are already here, but also for the folks that are coming [to the region]. The human condition is never static. It is constantly changing.”
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Leaders Tackle Regional Housing Strategy (Maryland Matters)
Does DC area have room for 100K more housing units than currently planned? (WTOP)