Lowering housing costs requires more than writing a check, and come the 2018 election Mayor Muriel E. Bowser may be judged more on her ability to simultaneously work with — and regulate — housing developers than on her $100 million annual commitment.
After all, Bowser isn’t the first D.C. mayor to propose a major increase in housing spending; her predecessor, Vincent C. Gray, also proposed putting $100 million annually into the city’s Housing Production Trust Fund.
Plus, because developers also play a central role in funding city political campaigns, Bowser’s toeing of the line between advocating for poor residents and facilitating new projects often comes under close scrutiny.
What decisions have shaped Bowser’s housing record so far?…
[Read full article.]Jonathan O’Connell, The Washington Post
