To address increasing housing affordability issues in the District of Columbia, the local government has implemented several housing programs including the Home Purchase Assistance Program (HPAP), the Employer Assisted Housing Program (EAHP), and the Inclusionary Zoning/Affordable Dwelling Units (IZ/ADU) program. These programs provide support ranging from rent regulations, to down payment and closing cost subsidies for potential homeowners, to inclusionary zoning requirements. In partnership with the DC Department of Housing and Community Development (DHCD), the research team will explore:
- Which targeted policies have been most effective in creating and preserving dedicated affordable housing in opportunity-rich areas? Do these policies increase racial equity?
- What are the experiences and outcomes for low-income and market-rate residents of mixed-income housing and how are they integrated into the development and community?
- Which inclusionary zoning policies are most effective at increasing access to affordable housing units for people with low incomes and people of color in opportunity-rich neighborhoods, and under what circumstances are they most effective? To what extent do successful inclusionary zoning policies reduce racial gaps in access to these neighborhoods?
Reducing existing racial income disparities DC, and across the nation, will continue to be a salient policy discussion, along with continued exploration of the efficacy of programs that aim to address them.
Related Evidence
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Published April 1, 2022View Evidence
Opportunity Zones (OZ) were implemented by the federal government and some state and local governments in 2017 to attract new investments to distressed communities in urban and rural areas in the United States. The program offers tax incentives to private businesses for investing in OZ designated neighborhoods.
Updates
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Published February 14, 2024View Post
Opportunity Zones (OZs) are a government strategy introduced in 2017 to attract increased investment in low-investment census tracts. But are low- to middle-income neighborhoods being elevated and integrated, or are OZs contributing to the darker side of gentrification: rising taxes and neighborhood displacement? Are Opportunity Zones achieving their purpose? New research suggests that they are not.