Mayoral Housing Initiative Would Spread Affordable Housing Around D.C.

Planners are expected to play a major role in an ambitious housing initiative proposed by Washington, D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser.

1 minute read

May 14, 2019, 7:00 AM PDT

By James Brasuell @CasualBrasuell


Washington, D.C.

The Wharf, a major redevelopment project in the Southwest Waterfront, completed at the end of 2017. | Stephen B. Goodwin / Shutterstock

David Alpert reports that Mayor Muriel Bowser has released details of a plan to add equitably distribute new housing units around Washington, D.C.

Mayor's Order 2019-036 [pdf] "direct[s] District agencies to identify new policies, tools, and initiatives to begin fulfilling her bold goal of creating 36,000 new housing units, 12,000 of them affordable, by 2025."

The directive provides more details on a housing plan first announced in Mayor Bowser's second inaugural address, delivered at the beginning of the year.  

The D.C. Office of Planning would play a major role in the proposed housing initiative. Alpert explains:

 A significant part of the order directs the Office of Planning to look at the amount of housing, both subsidized affordable and market-rate, which has been built in each of DC's 10 "planning areas," which are similar to wards but have two more and don't change with each Census.

Then, the Office of Planning will define "fair share targets" by September 2019 for housing, including for creating new affordable housing and preserving what's already there. The goal is to "create an equitable distribution of affordable housing across the District" by 2045.

Monday, May 13, 2019 in Greater Greater Washington

portrait of professional woman

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching. Mary G., Urban Planner

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching.

Mary G., Urban Planner

Cover CM Credits, Earn Certificates, Push Your Career Forward

Logo for Planetizen Federal Action Tracker with black and white image of U.S. Capitol with water ripple overlay.

Planetizen Federal Action Tracker

A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.

July 2, 2025 - Diana Ionescu

Aerial view of town of Wailuku in Maui, Hawaii with mountains in background against cloudy sunset sky.

Maui's Vacation Rental Debate Turns Ugly

Verbal attacks, misinformation campaigns and fistfights plague a high-stakes debate to convert thousands of vacation rentals into long-term housing.

July 1, 2025 - Honolulu Civil Beat

Person wearing mask walking through temporary outdoor dining setup lined with bistro lights at dusk in New York City.

Restaurant Patios Were a Pandemic Win — Why Were They so Hard to Keep?

Social distancing requirements and changes in travel patterns prompted cities to pilot new uses for street and sidewalk space. Then it got complicated.

June 19, 2025 - Diana Ionescu

Aerial view of new neifhborhood under construction with enpty lots in foreground.

In California Battle of Housing vs. Environment, Housing Just Won

A new state law significantly limits the power of CEQA, an environmental review law that served as a powerful tool for blocking new development.

July 2 - CALmatters

Low-rise Pearl Sreet mall in Boulfer, Colorado.

Boulder Eliminates Parking Minimums Citywide

Officials estimate the cost of building a single underground parking space at up to $100,000.

July 2 - Boulder Reporting Lab

Two-story buildings with porches in walkable Florida neighborhood.

Orange County, Florida Adopts Largest US “Sprawl Repair” Code

The ‘Orange Code’ seeks to rectify decades of sprawl-inducing, car-oriented development.

July 2 - CNU Public Square