In the next 20 years, the D.C. area is expected to have nearly 3 million job openings. With the resulting demand for new, diverse and more affordable housing outpacing supply, some fear that the city’s housing deficit will derail its robust economy.
In their second entry in a 5-part series on workforce housing in the Washington D.C. area, authors Lisa Sturtevant and Agnes Artemel contend that "housing the workforce" will be imperative to guaranteeing Washington's future economic success. They argue that the city's projected housing deficit could lead to higher rents, more traffic congestion and strained transit systems -- in a region that is severely dependent on non-resident workers and commuters.
Citing forecasts from the George Mason University Center for Regional Analysis, Sturtevant and Artemel point to an estimated 25% gap in the future provision of housing. This statistic is based on projected job growth requiring "over 700,000 new housing units by 2030", and the current pace of construction, which supplies only 28,000 housing units per year instead of the needed 36,500 units.
The authors examine the role that the public and private sectors will need to play in helping to solve this dilemma. "Most local governments are not planning enough housing for their future workers, and may hinder new housing with regulations on new development. Meanwhile, builders need to recognize the need for more multi-family housing and smaller, more affordable owner and renter homes in the region."
FULL STORY: Washington's economic future depends on more housing

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Minneapolis Housing Plan a Success—Not for the Reason You Think
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New White House Housing Initiative Includes Zoning Reform Incentives
The Biden administration this morning released a new program of actions intended to spur housing construction around the United States.

Proposed Transit Line Would Connect Downtown Tucson to Airport
Based on community input for a 15-mile transit line, residents want to see a focus on affordable housing development and anti-displacement measures.

Strip Malls as a Housing Solution
The American strip mall may be a dying breed of commercial development, but could the buildings serve a new use as sustainable housing?

Study: Most of Vancouver Is a ‘15-Minute City’
A large majority of Vancouver residents can access a grocery store in 15 minutes or less by bicycle or on foot.
Urban Planning Partners
Sandy City
Ada County Highway District
HUD's Office of Policy Development and Research
HUD's Office of Policy Development and Research
HUD's Office of Policy Development and Research
City of Redwood City
City of Rohnert Park
City of Hot Springs
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