Testimony Demanding Strong District Wide Inclusionary Zoning Practices
TESTIMONY IN
SUPPORT OF THE CAMPAIGN FOR MANDATORY INCLUSIONARY ZONING’S PROPOSAL
July 28, 2005
I am Renee Bowser and I live at 5322 2nd Street, NW
in the Petworth neighborhood of Ward 4. I have lived and worked in DC
since 1983. I am Advisory Neighborhood Commissioner for ANC Single
Member District 4D02.
I am testifying on behalf of Advisory
Neighborhood Commission 4D which is composed of 6 single member
districts which cover a substantial portion of Petworth.
On February 15
this year, ANC 4D passed a resolution in support of the DC Campaign for
Mandatory Inclusionary Zoning’s Proposal for mandatory inclusionary
zoning. My ANC strongly
supports the Case No. 04-33 proposal.
I have learned from long term residents that Petworth has been
an economically diverse community since they pushed back segregation in
the 1950's. Many Petworth families built their lives and supported
their families with earnings from blue collar jobs. As the cost of
housing rises exponentially, building a life on such income is becoming
less and less possible.
I bought my home in 1989 from a man, who with his wife, moved
to Petworth in the mid-1950's. He worked as a taxi driver and she as a
teacher. At $410,000, the price a row house on my block sold for in 2005, that same couple who worked and served this city would not be
able to build their family in Petworth today.
Another nearby neighbor,
who along with her husband, bought a house in the 1950's, also would
likely not be able to afford their home today, because she, now
retired, was a hotel worker. Two other nearby neighbors bought their
home in 1959. This husband and wife nurtured ten children through
Rudolph Elementary school, college, and other successes, with the
husband working as a taxi driver, letter carrier, and other jobs when
necessary. These neighbors would be priced out today. As a Union
lawyer, I would struggle to buy where I now live.
Contrary to the MANNA’s representations that inclusionary
zoning prevents program participants from realizing the American dream
of moving up and out of a neighborhood, settling in a safe, attractive
neighborhood like Petworth facilitates these families in achieving
their dreams. Having affordable and livable communities in Petworth
helped them to build and grow their lives. Studies show that growing
desirable community conditions takes stability.
- The May 2004 report by
the Greater Minnesota Housing Fund titled Importance of Stable Housing
for Children stated that "insecure housing and frequent mobility have
been shown to result in frequent absences and poorer school
performance."
- A 1994 federal GAO study found that residential changes
experienced by students, primarily caused by the housing system,
trigger damaging educational moves.
Home ownership brings stability to
families and their communities. And Petworth used that stability to
create a wonderful community.
Clearly, the skyrocketing housing prices in Petworth are placing at
risk the economic and cultural diversity of this community. Prices have
never dropped since I’ve lived here. Walking through my SMD, I observe
the paucity of safe, affordable rental and home-owner housing for low
and moderate income residents.
The developer representatives are wrong; inclusionary zoning
can have major impact. David Rusk, a former Albuquerque mayor and New
Mexico state legislator and a member of Innovative Housing Institute,
calculated the impact if inclusionary zoning laws had applied to the
100 largest metro areas over the past 2 decades. He says between 1980
and 2000, 30 million housing units were built in the 100 largest metro
areas, almost all by private for-profit builders. Applying a
hypothetical IZ law, like that under consideration here, of 15%
set-aside to new housing development of 10 or more units, Rusk says IZ
would have produced 3.6 million inclusionary zoning
units. "Inclusionary Zoning - Gautreaux By Another Pathway," D. Rusk,
January/February 2005 issue Poverty & Race.
Mandatory inclusionary zoning must be one of the District’s
affordable housing initiatives if we are to maintain Petworth as an
economically and racially diverse community. Mandatory inclusionary
zoning is one of the tools, along with housing produced through the
housing production trust fund and tenants’ first right of purchase,
that will loosen the grip of slum landlords in my community
by producing safe and affordable housing as an alternative. Slum
landlords have a captive market because low and moderate income
families have so few alternatives. Additionally, all of these means of
producing housing for lower and moderate income residents will restrain
the rise of property taxes on existing home owners.
The families who have built and continue to serve the District
should have affordable housing for rent and purchase so they can
continue to live in the District.
Thank you for the opportunity to testify on this pressing issue of community survival.
Renee L. Bowser
ANC 4D02 Commissioner
Secretary, ANC 4D
143 Kennedy Street, NW
Washington DC 20011
(202) 466-1593 (o)
rbowser4d02@starpower.net
