Inclusionary Zoning Needed in D.C.

The Advisory Neighborhood Commission's Economic Development and Zoning Committee invited the Association of Community Organizations for Reform Now (ACORN) to its meeting in June to make a presentation regarding the issue of Inclusionary Zoning (IZ).

I have been a member of ACORN for the past two years, and I had the distinct pleasure of speaking to those present regarding a mandatory Inclusionary Zoning policy — a policy that we feel will best serve the existing moderate- and low-income residents here in the District of
Columbia.

First, IZ is a technique used to create diverse mixed-income communities. In its basic form, it requires that each new housing development make a certain percentage of units affordable to a specific income range.

The District of Columbia is advocating a voluntary Inclusionary Zoning policy, which we feel will not work well because it sets up an uneven playing field, where one developer may get one deal and another developer gets another deal.

Developers will not opt into a voluntary program unless the incentives are huge. In other words, we will have to give away the farm to get them to go along with this program. Information provided through numerous studies shows that voluntary IZ does not work.

ACORN's membership is comprised of the working community and realizes that in order for those residents now residing in the D.C. area to continue having affordable housing, there must be some policy that will enforce how the new developments are priced, so that we are not priced out of our communities.

ACORN is pushing for a mandatory IZ policy that assists those within the 30 percent range of the Area Median Income (AMI) range, which is $84,800 for the Greater Washington region. This means we are looking to assist current residents who have incomes of $26,100 or less, for a family of four. Such families will not be able to afford housing in the D.C. area without an IZ policy.

ACORN is now working with other organizations to develop a mandatory IZ policy that will demand that developers include affordable units when developing new units or when rehabilitating existing units.

We take this opportunity to make the community aware of what's going on in your area. ACORN needs your support in the matter of mandatory IZ, and we invite you to call our office for further information on meetings on this issue.

Believe me, there is no time like the present to get involved in the developing that is taking place in our area. We cannot change what is already being developed, but we can certainly make our demands on any future developments!

ACORN is a nonprofit organization that represents the voice of the community. Please call us at 547-9292 or e-mail dcacorn@acorn.org. Join us in making a difference in our community.

Remember, this is your community — have a
voice NOW! §