Public Notice

Friday, Nov. 20, 2009

Workforce Housing Shortage to Grow in the DC Area

According to a new report by the Urban Land Institute, despite lower home prices in the Washington DC metropolitan area, there is a shortage of 40,000 affordable workforce housing units near employment centers that will continue to grow until the economy improves. While the D.C. area median household income is $102,700 for a family of four, twenty-three percent of the 2 million households in the D.C metropolitan area are considered workforce households with incomes from 60 to 100 percent of the area median income.

The report, Priced Out: Persistence of the Workforce Housing gap in The Washington, D.C., Metro Area, looked at homeownership and rental opportunities in six areas within a 20-30 minute commute to downtown D.C. and include: Reston, Herndon, Alexandria, Tyson’s Corner, Bethesda and Rockville. The majority of the workforce housing in these areas sat on the edges of the area, rather than the center. Workforce housing is beneficial as it reduces congestion, employees live and spend locally and it promotes a healthy environment.

ULI Terwilliger Center works to encourage public policies that provide incentives for private-sector projects near job centers.

To view the full report: Priced Out: Persistence of the Workforce Housing gap in The Washington, D.C., Metro Area, click here.


				Friday, Nov. 20, 2009 Workforce Housing Shortage to Grow in the DC Area According to a new report by the Urban Land Institute, despite lower home prices in the Washington DC metropolitan area, there is a shortage of 40,000 affordable workforce housing units near employment centers that will continue to grow until the economy improves. While the D.C. area median household income is $102,700 for a family of four, twenty-three percent of the 2 million households in the D.C metropolitan area are considered workforce households with incomes from 60 to 100 percent of the area median income. The report, Priced Out: Persistence of the Workforce Housing gap in The Washington, D.C., Metro Area, looked at homeownership and rental opportunities in six areas within a 20-30 minute commute to downtown D.C. and include: Reston, Herndon, Alexandria, Tyson’s Corner, Bethesda and Rockville. The majority of the workforce housing in these areas sat on the edges of the area, rather than the center. Workforce housing is beneficial as it reduces congestion, employees live and spend locally and it promotes a healthy environment. ULI Terwilliger Center works to encourage public policies that provide incentives for private-sector projects near job centers. To view the full report: Priced Out: Persistence of the Workforce Housing gap in The Washington, D.C., Metro Area, click here.