COG Vice Chair Christian Dorsey talks with WJLA about the region's housing targets, and why local jurisdictions are working collaboratively to meet them.
Local jurisdictions are making progress on addressing the region’s shared housing challenges. Officials gave updates on related efforts in their jurisdictions at the November COG Board of Directors meeting, just two months after the group unanimously passed three regional targets for housing production and affordability and called for contributions at the local level to meet them.
“We have at least five examples of jurisdictions who have taken this charge and moved it into their local capacity,” said Derrick L. Davis, COG Housing Strategy Group Chair and Prince George’s County Council Member at the meeting.
“It’s exciting that we regionally understand the necessity to deal with housing…and it’s even more exciting that we understand the inextricable core between transit and transportation, housing, and economic development.”
In September, the COG Board acknowledged that a range of approaches and tools could be used across the region to reach the housing targets.
"It's an ambitious reach, but it's a necessary one," said Christian Dorsey, COG Vice Chair and Arlington County Board Member, in a recent interview with WJLA. "If we don't do something different and intentional, it's going to continue to put pressure on everyone."
The examples below highlight just a few of the efforts underway across the region to address a range of housing needs in COG member communities.
Rockville Town Square (Beyond DC/Flickr)
District of Columbia
Under the leadership of Mayor Bowser’s administration, the District of Columbia set a goal at the beginning of the year to produce 36,000 units by 2025, with at least 12,000 affordable, and 6,000 preserved. A new Housing Equity Report released by the Office of Planning and Department of Housing and Community Development provides goals for the equitable distribution of this new affordable housing across different areas of the District. This joins significant investments in affordable and workforce housing production and preservation efforts.
“We’re excited to be having this conversation with our regional partners, excited for COG to really be pushing this conversation, and we look forward to working with all of you to continue to be part of the solution,” said District of Columbia City Administrator Rashad Young.
Montgomery County
The Montgomery County Council unanimously passed a resolution in November in support of the regional housing targets adopted at COG. The resolution also states the council’s commitment to work locally toward these goals—pursuing a contribution of an additional 10,000 units beyond what’s forecast in the county through 2030. The resolution was supported by the cities of Gaithersburg, Rockville, and Takoma Park. Housing is also a pillar of the council’s new Economic Development Platform.
“It’s been really well received…I think everybody understands how housing affordability connects to economic development,” said Montgomery County Council President Nancy Navarro.
Prince George’s County
Prince George’s County completed a comprehensive housing strategy, Housing Opportunities for All earlier this year. A work group is determining how to implement the findings of the report, moving ahead as early as next year. According to Prince George’s County Council Chair Todd Turner, the construction of the Purple Line may “be an opportunity for us to put into action some of the recommendations” that came out of the Housing Opportunities for All process.
“That report provided us with a strong foundation and, along with the work the COG Board was doing, gave us a direction in which to head,” said Prince George’s County Council Chair Todd Turner.
City of Takoma Park
The City of Takoma Park adopted a housing and economic strategic plan this fall, Building a Livable Community for All. Expanding on COG’s housing work, the strategic plan looks to preserve businesses and housing, produce more opportunities for housing and businesses to start and grow across the income spectrum, and protect renters, homeowners, and businesses from discrimination and displacement.
“We look forward to working on the regional goals that were set by COG in cooperation with Montgomery County,” said Takoma Park Mayor Kate Stewart.
Fairfax County
A Fairfax County Board-directed Communitywide Housing Strategic Plan was developed in two phases. Phase One outlined 25 short- and medium-term strategies to preserve and produce affordable and workforce housing. Phase Two, adopted as part of the FY 2020 Budget Guidance, outlines longer-term strategies to build and preserve affordable housing. As part of the plan, the board adopted the goal of producing a minimum of 5,000 new homes, affordable to households earning 60 percent of the Area Median Income (AMI) and below, over the next 15 years. The county is also pursuing efforts to preserve homes in the county.
“Housing that is affordable is not just about human services, but it’s also about economic security and development, if we’re going to be a successful region it’s important that people can be able to afford to live here,” said Sharon Bulova, Fairfax County Board of Supervisors Chairman.
MORE:
We all need to adopt the same shared goal on home affordability (Washington Post)
Taking Stock: D.C. Is Rapidly Gentrifying and the Fate of its Affordable Housing Hangs in the Balance (Washington City Paper)