{"id":492,"date":"2020-02-04T16:23:39","date_gmt":"2020-02-04T16:23:39","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.dc4reality.org\/updates\/?p=492"},"modified":"2020-02-17T04:23:47","modified_gmt":"2020-02-17T04:23:47","slug":"housing-supply-demand-mythbusting","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/www.dc4reality.org\/updates\/492","title":{"rendered":"Housing: Supply & Demand MYTHBUSTING!"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

In a recent post to a popular DC listserve, there was this comment:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A new ADU (and ADUs at scale) will “contribute to affordability” in terms of adding supply<\/strong>, and thereby reducing the overall pressure for price appreciation<\/strong><\/em> and the concomitant pressure to convert existing lower priced housing to standards and expectations which satisfy higher priced segments of the market.<\/p>Richard Layman rlaymandc@yahoo.com, Saturday, February 1, 2020, Comment on Columbia Heights listserve columbia_heights@yahoogroups.com<\/a><\/cite><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

The above intriguing comment seems to not consider the concept that #HousingIsNotACommodity and rather #HousingIsAHumanRight . . . right? <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Moreover, the lack of a race and class analysis in pubic discussions around housing and jobs at this point is frustratingly maddening. Essentially, one can enjoy a “LIVABALE WALKABLE” city only if you are young, professional, single, and likely white. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Going to the facts spells that housing is a human need not a product and exposes this false sense that supply of any new housing relieves some kind of “pressure.”<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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First, let’s take a gander at the Income Gap analysis<\/strong> vis-a-vis housing costs in the City:
* https:\/\/www.washingtonpost.com\/news\/local\/wp\/2016\/11\/02\/net-worth-of-white-households-in-d-c-region-is-81-times-greater-than-black-households\/<\/a>
* https:\/\/www.dcfpi.org\/all\/economic-inequality-in-dc-reflects-disparities-in-income-wages-wealth-and-economic-mobility-policy-solutions-should-too\/<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"economic-inequality-blog-fig1-768x908.png\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

This means the posture of continuing to construct more and more of the status quo unaffordable housing for single wealthy professionals without an equally important push for getting longtime DC residents and Black families real jobs with real pay to be able to stay here during the modern day goldrush is simply ignorant and discriminatory.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

And, even if policy makers and the Mayor could wrangle some economic systems that actually helps longtime DC residents and families, there’s no way they will be implemented in a timely way to keep up or be substantial enough to help most people becoming more and more vulnerable to displacement.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The HOT real estate market in DC is appreciating way too fast for most folks to keep up with rents, taxes, and housing costs generally:<\/strong>
* https:\/\/dc.curbed.com\/washington-dc-market-reports<\/a>
* https:\/\/www.bizjournals.com\/washington\/news\/2019\/09\/04\/as-d-c-area-housing-market-booms-researchers-warn.html<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Bottom-line, given the absolute real estate fire of the last decade and construction of tens of thousands of unaffordable single professional housing, there is absolutely no excuse that anyone should be pushing the idea that constructing any housing type at any cost is ok without a race and class analysis, especially considering the ballyhoo’d equitable development as expressed in Comp Plan Framework changes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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MORE FACTS THAT DISPEL SUPPLY & DEMAND MYTH:<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

NEW UNITS DON’T BRING PRICES DOWN<\/strong><\/em><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

The DC Zoning Chair suitably explains as follows:<\/p>\n\n\n\n