We believe that shared equity models, such as community land trusts and limited equity co-operatives, are underutilized tools that will not only provide permanently affordable homeownership opportunities, but provide the community an opportunity to have a say in their neighborhood. Learn more about community land trusts here.

Members of our group met with Sarosh Olpadwala, Director of Real Estate in the office of the Deputy Mayor of Planning and Economic Development, to talk about our goals for affordable housing: 27k units that are in either a community land trust, limited equity coop, social or public housing, or Housing First model by 2025! To get out of a crisis, we must take bold action.

The SW Action Housing Group created a grading system to judge new and already existing projects in the neighborhood. Projects will be judged on:

• Number of affordable units;

• If they accept vouchers;

• If there are 3-bedroom units;

• If it is, at least, ADA compliant;

• Will neighborhood-serving retail be involved

For the full list of criteria, click here.

Over the next month, we will be having several meetings with council-members, their staff, and other DC government policymakers to talk about our ideas for implementing antiracist and equitable policies into how housing is produced in the city. You can browse through the presentation on the left side, or via this link.

In response to a series of incidents that happened in the Southwest neighborhood and how some neighbors responded to those incidents, members of our group took time to craft a statement for how we as a community can interrupt cycles of harm rather than perpetuate them. Read the full statement here.

Recommendations written by SW Action members on how to address inequity and sustainability in SW. Click here for more information.

As a group, we strive to be antiracists and to advocate for and implement antiracist policies. As a group, we held a discussion on Dr. Ibram X. Kendi's book, How To Be An Antiracist and use that discussion for reference. Click here for more information and resources.

SW Action Group is involved in advocating for more affordable housing at the planned development at 4th & M Streets. Click here for more information and resources.

Click here for more information and resources about major DC planning documents relevant to our group.

This is a spreadsheet that compares the type (apartment/condo), size, and price of different housing buildings in SW DC.

Spreadsheet: Apartments in SW.

This is a paper written by SW resident, Coy McKinney, on the history of Business Improvement Districts, how they are tied to gentrification, and suggestions for how they could be re-structured to advocate for equity and justice in the neighborhoods they operate in. 

Full paper: The Case For A Radical BID

A shorter version was published in the DC Line and can be found here.