affordable housing
thousands of district residents struggle to keep a roof over their heads.
Providing affordable housing options for all District residents is critical to strengthen our economy, build our neighborhoods and empower our families.
Housing is both a physical and psychological anchor that is essential to the stability of our personal and communal lives. However, for too many, housing is a source of stress due to its cost and uncertainty, whether as renter or owner. Additionally, for many of our homeless population, which includes working families with children, the lack of a stable, secure home is the primary destabilizing aspect of their lives.
affordable housing in the district
For most of this decade, public investment in affordable housing grew significantly from $7 million in 2000 to $123 million in 2008. These strong public investments led to the construction and rehabilitation of thousands of units of affordable housing and distribution of thousands of vouchers to help low-income DC families secure affordable homes. However, in FY 2010, funding for affordable housing was cut nearly in half to $64 million.
The District provides affordable housing through a number of programs. These include the Housing Production Trust Fund, the District’s main source for affordable housing construction and rehabilitation dollars; the Local Rent Supplement Program, which provides rent subsidies to DC residents with very low-incomes; the Home Purchase Assistance Program, which offers no-interest loans to low-income first time homebuyers; and Permanent Supportive Housing, a program that provides housing to chronically homeless individuals and families.
support our campaign
Creating and preserving opportunity and diversity of housing options, preventing involuntary displacement and providing an affordable Continuum of Housing is vital to residents’ well-being, the health of neighborhoods and the quality of life for the entire city. Thus, Defeat Poverty DC supports the Coalition for Nonprofit Housing and Economic Development campaign to provide a Continuum of Housing with housing options for all residents at a price they can afford.
our recommendations
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Adopt Policy and Process Framework. The District should adopt public policies and processes essential to providing affordable housing in the District of Columbia that will:
- Develop and sustain a Continuum of Affordable Housing.
- Create and maintain Neighborhoods of Opportunity.
- Engage a Network of Public and Private Resource Partners.
Increase Local Funding. The District should raise the priority level of affordable housing in its locally funded budget by dedicating $255 million, or $4.26 per $100 general revenue dollars spent, to that purpose as recommended by the Comprehensive Housing Strategy Task Force.
Strengthen Locally Funded Continuum of Housing Program Tools. The District should use this increased local funding to strengthen five major affordable housing program tools: Housing Production Trust Fund, Home Purchase Assistance Program, First Right Purchase Assistance Program, Local Rent Supplement Program and Housing First Fund. This paper proposes a five-year action plan for each of the program tools to reach the $255 million level of total funding recommended by the Comprehensive Housing Strategy Task Force.
