D.C. Mayor Adrian Fenty announced on Monday a citywide strategy to address the affordable housing “crisis” and create homeowners out of those who have been priced out.
Under the plan, developed with the Washington Interfaith Network, Fenty has pledged to create $117 million in additional revenue to partner with WIN and build 500 affordable units for people making $20,000 to $75,000 during the next 18 months, and 5,000 units in the next four years.
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Fenty said “aggressive policies” are needed. His strategy comes largely from one proposed last year by WIN following a campaign pledge made by Fenty to fund, build or preserve 14,000 affordable housing units.
The Rev. Christine Wiley, a WIN clergy leader, said she has had hardworking parishioners at Covenant Baptist Church in Ward 8 tell her they could no longer afford to purchase new homes in their neighborhoods.
“We don’t want gentrification to continue to happen in our city,” Wiley said. “We want people who live here to be able to continue to live here.”
There is no affordable housing requirement in the District, said Sean Madigan, spokesman for Deputy Mayor for Planning and Economic Development Neil Albert. Until now, when the city has asked for affordable housing from developers in public projects, the level generally has been set at 20 percent, Madigan said.
Under the plan, however, developers building new housing on public land in D.C. will be required to make 30 percent of it affordable.
Fenty also proposed working to preserve 5,000 rental units as affordable.
WIN has been involved in other community-improvement projects in recent months, including working with city leaders to get the District moving on more than $21 million in immediate repairs needed for sports programs at six public high schools.
