Media Alert: Wednesday, October 19, 2022
Contact: Nick DelleDonne,
delledonne.n@comcast.net , 703 929 6656
Social Housing in Green New Deal Wins Community Support
Social Housing, a bold concept to meet the affordable housing crisis in DC, was the focus of the October 17 meeting of Dupont East Civic Action Association (DECAA). Tenant rights’ attorney Will Merrifield explained social housing provisions in the Green New Deal for Housing Bill (24-802) currently before the DC Council. DECAA membership passed a resolution in support of social housing. A Council hearing is set for November 17.
Merrifield’s presentation appears on YouTube as an episode of CanWeTalk? Watch it here and subscribe https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=57o9-M1DT6c.
As introduced, the Green New Deal for Housing Bill would provide for social housing of which one third would be market rate and two-thirds permanently affordable for low-income households. Based on the model in Vienna, Austria, the rent would be about 30% of the tenant’s income so those who earn more will pay more. This low rent percentage, Merrifield said, has the effect of dampening inflationary pressures on rent throughout the city.
Social housing, as distinct from public housing which isolates low-income tenants, is designed for mixed-income tenants, so rental income can pay for building maintenance and would not rely on government bureaucracy or subsidy. The units are the same high quality regardless of the tenant’s income.
The bill would allow the District to buy property for social housing and require the Mayor to consider social housing before selling public land, like the police and fire stations at 17th and U Streets NW.
DECAA’s program included Robin Diener on using the Wardman Hotel site for social housing and Margaret Dwyer, president of Ward 3 Housing Justice, on solidarity among affordable housing advocates.
Interested parties are invited to a workshop on Wednesday, Oct. 19 at 6 pm, at the Cleveland Park Public Library to help prepare testimony for the Council hearing on November 17.
