Takoma ANC Forms DC's First Housing Justice Committee

• December 11th 2020

by Nena Perry-Brown

In a year where housing inequity has been center-stage, one DC Advisory Neighborhood Commission (ANC) is taking the initiative to make housing a priority.

ANC 4B has established a Housing Justice Committee, tasked with helping the ANC follow through in its commitment to the production of affordable and deeply affordable housing. 

This commitment is explained in the ANC's Annual Report as follows:

"Advisory Neighborhood Commission 4B believes housing is a human right. The Commission has sought at every opportunity to support and promote safe, stable, and secure housing for all District residents, including through extensive feedback on the District’s Comprehensive Plan; support for and recommendations regarding legislation prohibiting discrimination against individuals experiencing homelessness and individuals relying on subsidized housing vouchers; funding to end chronic homelessness; funding, preservation, and expansion of public housing; and expansion and improvement of rent control. The Commission believes in doing our fair share regarding deeply affordable housing within our Commission boundaries."

ANC 4B unanimously voted to form the Housing Justice Committee in February. The committee will meet regularly to review proposed developments and housing-related legislation, as well as offer advice and recommendations to the full ANC. It will also host educational programming pertinent to affordable housing and homelessness.

"I hope that the Committee, which is comprised of individuals with really valuable expertise, will further the Commission's ability to weigh in on matters affecting housing affordability and homelessness effectively and constructively," ANC 4B02 Commissioner and committee chair Erin Palmer told UrbanTurf. The Committee is holding its first, virtual meeting tomorrow.

While this is the first ANC committee UrbanTurf is aware of that explicitly deals with housing justice, at least two other ANCs have worked toward implementing housing-related frameworks to guide their decision-making. ANC 3/4G also created a Task Force on Racism this year that included a Housing-focused working group and furnished recommendations for how more affordable housing can be produced within the ANC; the full ANC will vote on those recommendations Monday evening.

NOTE: Information about ANC 3/4G's housing justice efforts was added after publication.

This article originally published at https://dc.urbanturf.com/articles/blog/takoma-anc-has-citys-first-housing-justice-committee/17641.