Winning in a “lose-lose” environment of economic development: housing, community empowerment, and neighborhood redevelopment in the Columbia Heights neighborhood of Washington, DC

ABSTRACT

Economic development is often billed as the basis and justification for neighborhood revitalization in low-income communities, bringing with it new jobs, amenities, and residents. Best practices in local housing policy suggest that inclusionary zoning can be a remedy to the increasing home prices and rents resulting from the changing demographics. However, inclusionary zoning remedies have been largely insufficient and remain part of a negotiated package of community benefits that do not reflect that collective agency of the existing community. This paper examines how tenant-centered affordable housing and community-based planning can provide a useful counter-narrative to the economic development and community benefits stories of the back-to-the city era urban redevelopment in Washington, DC. While DC has developed progressive laws and resources to enable low-income residents to remain in their communities, the fast-moving market has exposed conflicts between social and economic goals. Using the example of neighborhood revitalization efforts in Washington, DC, I examine the often-conflicting how economic development goals interact with community empowerment and the mechanisms to enable community control that change how residents experience revitalization.

KEYWORDS:

• Community development
• redevelopment
• gentrification

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author.

Correction Statement

This article has been republished with minor changes. These changes do not impact the academic content of the article.

Notes

1. Organizationally, RLA was housed in the DC Department of Housing and Community Development until 2000 when it became the National Capital Redevelopment Corporation and finally, the Deputy Mayor’s Office for Planning and Economic Development in 2007.

2. Starting in FY2015, this amount became the minimum amount, and the City has budgeted $100 million annually.

3. REAC scores are given by the Real Estate Assessment Center of the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) from physical inspections of HUD-assisted properties. A failing REAC score below 60 can lead to the loss of subsidy if there are subsequent failed inspections. The letter c indicates an immediate threat to health or safety.

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Kathryn L. Howell

Kathryn Howell  is an Assistant Professor of Urban and Regional Planning at Virginia Commonwealth University and the co-director of the RVA Eviction Lab. Her work focuses on affordable housing and public spaces to explore redevelopment, displacement and governance. She has specifically looked at the preservation of affordable housing in Washington, DC, examining the intersection between policies, governance and the built environment. She was previously a practitioner in local government developing housing and community development policy in Washington, DC and Maryland agencies.