Opinion: Reform D.C. Housing Now

The Washington Post’s editorial board calls for immediate and urgent action to reform the District’s housing policies as the region’s affordability crisis mounts.

1 minute read

December 28, 2022, 5:00 AM PST

By Diana Ionescu @aworkoffiction


An op-ed from the Washington Post editorial board argues for urgent action to reform Washington, D.C.’s housing authority and provide more badly needed housing in the region.

The board outlines the findings of a 72-page Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) report that highlights the agency’s failures, including 82 “managerial deficiencies.” The list includes “everything from leaving tenants’ personal information unprotected to noncompliance with HUD pet policies to numerous procurement breakdowns to a failure to ‘properly calculate rent’ to being ‘unable to provide documentation of the number of persons on its Public Housing waiting list,’ which hasn’t been updated in 10 years.”

As the op-ed states, thanks to the region’s affordability crisis, reforming DCHA management “cannot proceed at the city’s leisure.” With media home prices hitting $650,000 and the region seeing a shortage of roughly 320,000 housing units by 2030, the editorial board calls for immediate action.

What kind of action, one might ask? “Everything! Housing subsidies, requirements for affordable units in new developments, promotion of employer-sponsored housing projects — they’re all critical to closing the gap between what the workforce earns and what developers collect.”

Pointing to efforts in Arlington and Montgomery counties, which other entities in the region are eyeing cautiously as examples for housing policy reform, the board concludes, “No pain, no gain. Much-needed housing supply won’t build itself.”

Friday, December 16, 2022 in The Washington Post

portrait of professional woman

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching. Mary G., Urban Planner

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching.

Mary G., Urban Planner

Get top-rated, practical training

Bird's eye view of manufactured home park.

Manufactured Crisis: Losing the Nation’s Largest Source of Unsubsidized Affordable Housing

Manufactured housing communities have long been an affordable housing option for millions of people living in the U.S., but that affordability is disappearing rapidly. How did we get here?

March 25, 2025 - Shelterforce

U-Haul truck on road with blurred grassy roadside in background.

Americans May Be Stuck — But Why?

Americans are moving a lot less than they once did, and that is a problem. While Yoni Applebaum, in his highly-publicized article Stuck, gets the reasons badly wrong, it's still important to ask: why are we moving so much less than before?

March 27, 2025 - Alan Mallach

Rusty abandoned oil well and equipment with prickly pear cactus next to it in West Texas.

Using Old Oil and Gas Wells for Green Energy Storage

Penn State researchers have found that repurposing abandoned oil and gas wells for geothermal-assisted compressed-air energy storage can boost efficiency, reduce environmental risks, and support clean energy and job transitions.

March 31, 2025 - Pennsylvania State University

Downtown Los Angeles skyline viewed from a distance with freeway and trees in foreground.

Updating LA’s Tree Rules Could Bring More Shade to Underserved Neighborhoods

A new USC study finds that relaxing Los Angeles’ outdated tree planting guidelines could significantly expand urban tree canopy and reduce shade disparities in lower-income neighborhoods, though infrastructure investments are also needed.

7 hours ago - USC Dornsife

Aerial view of Claifornia aqueduct with green orchard on one side.

California's Canal Solar Projects Aim to Conserve Resources and Expand Clean Energy

California’s Project Nexus has begun generating electricity from solar panels installed over irrigation canals, with researchers and state agencies exploring statewide expansion to conserve water and boost clean energy production.

April 3 - Turlock Journal

Close-up of older woman's hands resting on white modern heating radiator mounted on wall indoors.

HHS Staff Cuts Gut Energy Assistance Program

The full staff of a federal program that distributes heating and cooling assistance for low-income families was laid off, jeopardizing the program’s operations.

April 3 - The New York Times