An Equitable Housing Strategy for the District of Columbia

The nonpartisan Urban Institute publishes studies, reports, and books on timely topics worthy of public consideration. The views expressed are those of the authors and should not be attributed to the Urban Institute, its trustees, or its funders.

Note: This report is available in its entirety in the Portable Document Format (PDF).

For more than two decades, growth and economic prosperity in the Washington region have fueled a booming housing market. But until recently, the District of Columbia suffered from declining population and housing disinvestment. Beginning in the late 1990s, the District has experienced a surge in housing demand, bringing more fiscal, economic, and social resources to the city. Many neighborhoods are enjoying high levels of new housing construction, rising home sales and house values, and improvements to the existing housing stock. For the first time in decades, it is realistic to imagine that the District will share more fully in the region's growth and prosperity.

But renewed demand for D.C. housing also creates challenges for the city and its residents. Rising rents and house prices make it more difficult for low- and moderate-income families to find housing they can afford in the District. The District of Columbia is home to a disproportionate share of the region's very low income households, and these families and individuals face particular hardship in today's booming housing market.¹

The District must continue to grow, both by attracting new residents and by retaining those who already live here. But if population growth outpaces the capacity of the housing stock, it can create dislocation and distress. And unless the city's growth is properly managed, it may fail to benefit the city's most vulnerable residents and neighborhoods.

This spring, the District's Mayor and City Council will convene a distinguished task force to assess the critical challenges facing the city's housing policymakers and propose a strategy for tackling them. This brief offers a framework for their deliberations. Drawing on research conducted at the Urban Institute over the past several years, it recommends a citywide strategy to promote equitable growth and revitalization over the coming years.²

Notes from this section

1. HUD defines four income eligibility categories based on the regional median income. As of 2000, these categories for the Washington area were defined as follows: extremely low income (less than 30 percent of median)—$24,800; very low income (less than 50 percent of median)—$41,400; low-income (less than 80 percent of median) $66,200; and moderate-income (less than 120 percent of area median)—$99,400. Throughout this brief, references to very low income include both extremely low and very low income households.

2. The analysis presented here draws upon annual analyses of housing market conditions and trends in the Washington region conducted by the Urban Institute and sponsored by the Fannie Mae Foundation. See Margery Austin Turner et al., Housing in the Nation's Capital: 2003 (Washington, DC: Fannie Mae Foundation, 2003).

Note: This report is available in its entirety in the Portable Document Format (PDF).

The nonpartisan Urban Institute publishes studies, reports, and books on timely topics worthy of public consideration. The views expressed are those of the authors and should not be attributed to the Urban Institute, its trustees, or its funders.

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