We need homes. A lot of homes. Not just affordable, but also middle-income homes.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Everyone likes our boring, leafy, walkable, green, low skyline city with its smattering of commercial hubs. Literally, everyone likes that about DC. If you don't, you go to a tastier city.

YIMBYs disagree. They believe the height limits are racist.

It's because Trumper political operatives hired by big developers looking for windfall profits from zoning changes call the height limit racist.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Everyone likes our boring, leafy, walkable, green, low skyline city with its smattering of commercial hubs. Literally, everyone likes that about DC. If you don't, you go to a tastier city.

YIMBYs disagree. They believe the height limits are racist.

That makes little sense. And it is one of the things that makes DC unique. Part and parcel of our heritage. If you made a list of top things that make DC, DC- - cherry blossom,.social Safeway, go go, monuments, low skyline,Smithsonian etc. Adding ANY high rises within DC dilutes our heritage.

Have you ever been on Connecticut Avenue between Dupont Circle and Cleveland Park?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:The GGW propagandists are so tiresome.

It's like they've been indoctrinated to memorize like 5 talking points and then just incessantly reciting them over and over and over. What's even more incredible is how naive they are about real estate, particularly how much they are basically foot soldiers for speculators seeking rent capture.

I hope at some point that they find some new talking points, because it is just so boring.

IF GGW shills were serious about affordable housing, they would be calling on DC to do everything possible to save the rent controlled housing stock that exists right now. Ward 3 has the second highest number of rent controlled units in the District, yet GGW and the Smart Growth crowd refuse to call them affordable. These tend to be in older buildings and provide workforce residents with access to good schools and public transportation. Yet the new comprehensive plan will accelerate their conversion to up-market housing. This is probably why GGW Density Bros and the developer allies in the mayor's office and DC office of planning don't want to acknowledge rent controlled housing stock. The handful of touted IZ - inclusive zoning -- units pegged at 80 percent of AMI that result from large market-rate development are not really affordable and are relatively few in number.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Exactly. Why not continue to invest in wards 7 and 8? Better housing - better retail - better schools. All of which is possible. Naval Yard and the area around the Wharf look great.

We can either destroy the SFH neighborhoods that want to preserve their SFH neighborhoods, or we can invest in parts of the city that need investment. Latter is better. The only people who want to upzone are small time developers who simply want to convert a SFH to a duplex or triplex. Real difficult. I can do that, and I have nothing to do with the real estate business.

The sweet spot for developers now is to build infill or convert large houses to "gentle density" multi-family in established neighborhoods. If the building is nine units or less, "inclusive zoning" requirements (what passes for "affordable" housing in DC, but is not really) don't apply,. So the developer can charge market-rate for the units, which is probably needs to do because it has to spread costs among a relatively modest number of units in each "gentle density" building.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Exactly. Why not continue to invest in wards 7 and 8? Better housing - better retail - better schools. All of which is possible. Naval Yard and the area around the Wharf look great.

We can either destroy the SFH neighborhoods that want to preserve their SFH neighborhoods, or we can invest in parts of the city that need investment. Latter is better. The only people who want to upzone are small time developers who simply want to convert a SFH to a duplex or triplex. Real difficult. I can do that, and I have nothing to do with the real estate business.

The sweet spot for developers now is to build infill or convert large houses to "gentle density" multi-family in established neighborhoods. If the building is nine units or less, "inclusive zoning" requirements (what passes for "affordable" housing in DC, but is not really) don't apply,. So the developer can charge market-rate for the units, which is probably needs to do because it has to spread costs among a relatively modest number of units in each "gentle density" building.

That is only the “sweet spot” because it is currently being rewarded through regulatory incentives.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Exactly. Why not continue to invest in wards 7 and 8? Better housing - better retail - better schools. All of which is possible. Naval Yard and the area around the Wharf look great.

We can either destroy the SFH neighborhoods that want to preserve their SFH neighborhoods, or we can invest in parts of the city that need investment. Latter is better. The only people who want to upzone are small time developers who simply want to convert a SFH to a duplex or triplex. Real difficult. I can do that, and I have nothing to do with the real estate business.

The sweet spot for developers now is to build infill or convert large houses to "gentle density" multi-family in established neighborhoods. If the building is nine units or less, "inclusive zoning" requirements (what passes for "affordable" housing in DC, but is not really) don't apply,. So the developer can charge market-rate for the units, which is probably needs to do because it has to spread costs among a relatively modest number of units in each "gentle density" building.

That is only the “sweet spot” because it is currently being rewarded through regulatory incentives.

DC should change the law so that anything more than three units needs to include some affordable.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Everyone likes our boring, leafy, walkable, green, low skyline city with its smattering of commercial hubs. Literally, everyone likes that about DC. If you don't, you go to a tastier city.

YIMBYs disagree. They believe the height limits are racist.

I think they believe the height limits are people saying “I got mine, F you”, instead of considering what’s good for everyone.

If you can't afford to live in a certain part of town, then look elsewhere. You are NOT entitled to live wherever you want. Grow up!!

Why do you always assume that YIMBY advocates are seeking to move to a certain part of town? Isn't the whole concept of "yes in my backyard" that people who already live there are advocating for changes that make it easier for others to do the same? In my case, I live in Ward 3 and think we'd all be better off if there were more, and cheaper, housing stock up here. I don't need to be "entitled to live wherever I want," as I already own a home here.

[Anonymous]

This is a good disinformation effort: it mixes racial division with developer division and tries to falsely label as Trumpers advocates for a fairer housing economy.

This post below is a useful study, really.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Everyone likes our boring, leafy, walkable, green, low skyline city with its smattering of commercial hubs. Literally, everyone likes that about DC. If you don't, you go to a tastier city.

YIMBYs disagree. They believe the height limits are racist.

It's because Trumper political operatives hired by big developers looking for windfall profits from zoning changes call the height limit racist.

The reality is that it is mostly older, white NIMBYs who are blocking adding housing units, because of selfish concerns of getting their own housing value as high as possible.

The way Trumpers enter is that Republicans want to do everything they can to harm blue cities, including DC. Republicans want to harm everyone in DC including both white and black people that live here. The GOP elite, mostly white, southern, male, and mediocre, hate people who live in DC. It’s mainly jealously, and racism, mixed together.

The way to fight this is for all of us to band together in DC. Don’t let conservatives divide us on racial lines. Yes, Ward 3 people will need to give up something to allow fourplexes by-right everywhere, including places like Foxhall. But this will be good for the whole city. And meanwhile Bowser needs to stop pitting different communities in the city against one another.

The people that want to hurt DC are Republicans. They’re the people we should fight. Together.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:This is a good disinformation effort: it mixes racial division with developer division and tries to falsely label as Trumpers advocates for a fairer housing economy.

This post below is a useful study, really.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Everyone likes our boring, leafy, walkable, green, low skyline city with its smattering of commercial hubs. Literally, everyone likes that about DC. If you don't, you go to a tastier city.

YIMBYs disagree. They believe the height limits are racist.

It's because Trumper political operatives hired by big developers looking for windfall profits from zoning changes call the height limit racist.

The reality is that it is mostly older, white NIMBYs who are blocking adding housing units, because of selfish concerns of getting their own housing value as high as possible.

The way Trumpers enter is that Republicans want to do everything they can to harm blue cities, including DC. Republicans want to harm everyone in DC including both white and black people that live here. The GOP elite, mostly white, southern, male, and mediocre, hate people who live in DC. It’s mainly jealously, and racism, mixed together.

The way to fight this is for all of us to band together in DC. Don’t let conservatives divide us on racial lines. Yes, Ward 3 people will need to give up something to allow fourplexes by-right everywhere, including places like Foxhall. But this will be good for the whole city. And meanwhile Bowser needs to stop pitting different communities in the city against one another.

The people that want to hurt DC are Republicans. They’re the people we should fight. Together.

LOL, we live in a capitalist country. I'm not sure you can call people 'selfish' for trying to better themselves and leave something to their families within that framework.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Everyone likes our boring, leafy, walkable, green, low skyline city with its smattering of commercial hubs. Literally, everyone likes that about DC. If you don't, you go to a tastier city.

YIMBYs disagree. They believe the height limits are racist.

It's because Trumper political operatives hired by big developers looking for windfall profits from zoning changes call the height limit racist.

Yup. It’s called rent seeking.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:This is a good disinformation effort: it mixes racial division with developer division and tries to falsely label as Trumpers advocates for a fairer housing economy.

This post below is a useful study, really.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Everyone likes our boring, leafy, walkable, green, low skyline city with its smattering of commercial hubs. Literally, everyone likes that about DC. If you don't, you go to a tastier city.

YIMBYs disagree. They believe the height limits are racist.

It's because Trumper political operatives hired by big developers looking for windfall profits from zoning changes call the height limit racist.

The reality is that it is mostly older, white NIMBYs who are blocking adding housing units, because of selfish concerns of getting their own housing value as high as possible.

The way Trumpers enter is that Republicans want to do everything they can to harm blue cities, including DC. Republicans want to harm everyone in DC including both white and black people that live here. The GOP elite, mostly white, southern, male, and mediocre, hate people who live in DC. It’s mainly jealously, and racism, mixed together.

The way to fight this is for all of us to band together in DC. Don’t let conservatives divide us on racial lines. Yes, Ward 3 people will need to give up something to allow fourplexes by-right everywhere, including places like Foxhall. But this will be good for the whole city. And meanwhile Bowser needs to stop pitting different communities in the city against one another.

The people that want to hurt DC are Republicans. They’re the people we should fight. Together.

LOL, we live in a capitalist country. I'm not sure you can call people 'selfish' for trying to better themselves and leave something to their families within that framework.

+1. If so, pretty much everyone is selfish. For those of us who worked hard to own our own homes (meaning Daddy didn’t buy it for us), our homes are our most important asset. I’m not a Republican, but I sure as hell care about how much my home is worth.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:This is a good disinformation effort: it mixes racial division with developer division and tries to falsely label as Trumpers advocates for a fairer housing economy.

This post below is a useful study, really.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Everyone likes our boring, leafy, walkable, green, low skyline city with its smattering of commercial hubs. Literally, everyone likes that about DC. If you don't, you go to a tastier city.

YIMBYs disagree. They believe the height limits are racist.

It's because Trumper political operatives hired by big developers looking for windfall profits from zoning changes call the height limit racist.

The reality is that it is mostly older, white NIMBYs who are blocking adding housing units, because of selfish concerns of getting their own housing value as high as possible.

The way Trumpers enter is that Republicans want to do everything they can to harm blue cities, including DC. Republicans want to harm everyone in DC including both white and black people that live here. The GOP elite, mostly white, southern, male, and mediocre, hate people who live in DC. It’s mainly jealously, and racism, mixed together.

The way to fight this is for all of us to band together in DC. Don’t let conservatives divide us on racial lines. Yes, Ward 3 people will need to give up something to allow fourplexes by-right everywhere, including places like Foxhall. But this will be good for the whole city. And meanwhile Bowser needs to stop pitting different communities in the city against one another.

The people that want to hurt DC are Republicans. They’re the people we should fight. Together.

No, the reality is that developers themselves are blocking housing in many parts of this area by sitting on shovel ready projects and underdeveloped or undeveloped land. They don’t flood the market with housing because prices would fall and carry costs are cheap for now. Prices would drop a lot if everyone suddenly permitted and delivered their approved projects.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:This is a good disinformation effort: it mixes racial division with developer division and tries to falsely label as Trumpers advocates for a fairer housing economy.

This post below is a useful study, really.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Everyone likes our boring, leafy, walkable, green, low skyline city with its smattering of commercial hubs. Literally, everyone likes that about DC. If you don't, you go to a tastier city.

YIMBYs disagree. They believe the height limits are racist.

It's because Trumper political operatives hired by big developers looking for windfall profits from zoning changes call the height limit racist.

The reality is that it is mostly older, white NIMBYs who are blocking adding housing units, because of selfish concerns of getting their own housing value as high as possible.

The way Trumpers enter is that Republicans want to do everything they can to harm blue cities, including DC. Republicans want to harm everyone in DC including both white and black people that live here. The GOP elite, mostly white, southern, male, and mediocre, hate people who live in DC. It’s mainly jealously, and racism, mixed together.

The way to fight this is for all of us to band together in DC. Don’t let conservatives divide us on racial lines. Yes, Ward 3 people will need to give up something to allow fourplexes by-right everywhere, including places like Foxhall. But this will be good for the whole city. And meanwhile Bowser needs to stop pitting different communities in the city against one another.

The people that want to hurt DC are Republicans. They’re the people we should fight. Together.

LOL, we live in a capitalist country. I'm not sure you can call people 'selfish' for trying to better themselves and leave something to their families within that framework.

+1. If so, pretty much everyone is selfish. For those of us who worked hard to own our own homes (meaning Daddy didn’t buy it for us), our homes are our most important asset. I’m not a Republican, but I sure as hell care about how much my home is worth.

Daddy didn’t buy my home for me, either, but I don’t think “is my personal home worth as much as it possibly could be under any circumstance” is necessarily the best principle around which to organize local politics.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

LOL, we live in a capitalist country. I'm not sure you can call people 'selfish' for trying to better themselves and leave something to their families within that framework.

+1. If so, pretty much everyone is selfish. For those of us who worked hard to own our own homes (meaning Daddy didn’t buy it for us), our homes are our most important asset. I’m not a Republican, but I sure as hell care about how much my home is worth.

But do you want to live in a society where the main principle of government's housing and land use policy is: maximizing property values for current homeowners?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:This is a good disinformation effort: it mixes racial division with developer division and tries to falsely label as Trumpers advocates for a fairer housing economy.

This post below is a useful study, really.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Everyone likes our boring, leafy, walkable, green, low skyline city with its smattering of commercial hubs. Literally, everyone likes that about DC. If you don't, you go to a tastier city.

YIMBYs disagree. They believe the height limits are racist.

It's because Trumper political operatives hired by big developers looking for windfall profits from zoning changes call the height limit racist.

The reality is that it is mostly older, white NIMBYs who are blocking adding housing units, because of selfish concerns of getting their own housing value as high as possible.

The way Trumpers enter is that Republicans want to do everything they can to harm blue cities, including DC. Republicans want to harm everyone in DC including both white and black people that live here. The GOP elite, mostly white, southern, male, and mediocre, hate people who live in DC. It’s mainly jealously, and racism, mixed together.

The way to fight this is for all of us to band together in DC. Don’t let conservatives divide us on racial lines. Yes, Ward 3 people will need to give up something to allow fourplexes by-right everywhere, including places like Foxhall. But this will be good for the whole city. And meanwhile Bowser needs to stop pitting different communities in the city against one another.

The people that want to hurt DC are Republicans. They’re the people we should fight. Together.

LOL, we live in a capitalist country. I'm not sure you can call people 'selfish' for trying to better themselves and leave something to their families within that framework.

+1. If so, pretty much everyone is selfish. For those of us who worked hard to own our own homes (meaning Daddy didn’t buy it for us), our homes are our most important asset. I’m not a Republican, but I sure as hell care about how much my home is worth.

Daddy didn’t buy my home for me, either, but I don’t think “is my personal home worth as much as it possibly could be under any circumstance” is necessarily the best principle around which to organize local politics.

Maximizing the value of my investments (including my home) will never be my sole motivator but it will always significantly motivate me. Providing financial security for myself and my family is one of my top priorities in life. Being poor or financially insecure can wreak havoc on someone’s health and wellbeing. It’s not for me!