Reply to Bowser proposes to add over 1,500 new affordable housing units to "Rock Creek West"

Forum Index » Metropolitan DC Local Politics

Reply to "Bowser proposes to add over 1,500 new affordable housing units to "Rock Creek West""

Subject:

Emoticons





More smilies

Text Color: Font: Close Marks

[quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous]I wish someone could give me a coherent explanation of how these affordable housing ideas are supposed to work.

There seems to be blind faith that adding housing units will lower prices, but that just seems wrong.

There's five million people in the DC suburbs. If you add 30,000 units in DC, that will immediately be soaked up by people in, say, Arlington looking for better commutes. That in turn will open up places for people to move to Arlington from, say, Manassas who are looking for the same thing. That will open up places in Manassas for people who live in, say, Front Royal.

The end result is lower housing prices in Front Royal. Ok, that's great for people who live there but why should DC residents have to sacrifice so that people in Front Royal enjoy slightly lower housing prices?[/quote]

1. Yes, this is a regional problem.  That is why MWCOG has set REGIONAL goals for more housing, esp more AH.  Many people in DC itself are progressive, and want to help moderate and low income people around the region.

2.  Having more people live closer in will be better for the environment, and mean less cars driving into DC (since closer places have better transit), better for QOL in DC.

3.  Not everyone who lives out in the suburbs wants to move closer in.  Some people prefer Arlington to DC, Manassas to Arlington, Front Royal to Manassas, etc.  You appear to posit that a one dollar decrease in housing prices in DC fills up any increase in new units (what we economists call a perfectly elastic demand curve)  That is almost certainly unrealistic.  Its possible that MOST people would move closer in if they could, but that will still mean a slight drop in DC prices from new housing If many people won't (if the demand curve is inelastic - IOW if people really have preference for suburban living) then there could be large drops in DC prices. 
3.  [/quote]

Yes, everyone has their own particular reasons for living where they do. My only point is that this notion that adding housing units in DC will result in more affordable housing is a lie. [/quote]

Yes, that is your point. However it is not correct. [/quote]

Options

	Disable HTML in this message
	Disable BB Code in this message
	Disable smilies in this message

Review message

Search Recent Topics Hottest Topics