Posts by Cheryl Cort — Contributor
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Accessory apartments could soon become easier to build in DC
The District government is working to make an accessory apartment (or accessory dwelling unit or ADU) a bit easier to build. Keep reading…
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Will affordable housing needs overcome some neighbors’ opposition to Dance Loft on 14?
Op-ed: A proposal to redevelop the Dance Loft on 14 building is a prime example of the kind of affordable housing envisioned in the Comprehensive Plan update. Keep reading…
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DC’s Chevy Chase neighborhood looks to reverse its history of exclusion
Some members of DC’s Chevy Chase community are creating a more inclusive vision for the neighborhood alongside the launch of the Chevy Chase DC Small Area Plan by the DC Office of Planning. Keep reading…
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DC homeowners get help to build accessory apartments
The United Planning Organization (UPO) and Coalition for Smarter Growth (CSG) recently published ADU DC Homeowner’s Manual: How to Build an Accessory Apartment or Second Dwelling in the District of Columbia to make it easier for homeowners to add income-producing units to their lots. Our manual is a how-to guide for DC homeowners to navigate the process of building an accessory apartment. Keep reading…
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DC bus service gets a “D” on its report card. Here’s how it can improve.
Confirming what Metrobus riders already know, a new report shows how DC’s buses are slow and unreliable. The study, by the Coalition for Smarter Growth and MetroHero, was developed from real-time data collected in May 2019 by MetroHero. Keep reading…
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Let’s make our streets safer by putting the transportation people in charge of traffic cameras
Here’s one of the changes proposed by DC Mayor Muriel Bowser to combat dangerous streets: transfer photo enforcement from the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) to the District Department of Transportation (DDOT). DC councilmembers Mary Cheh and Charles Allen disagree on whether to make this change, but Cheryl Cort argues it's the right move. Keep reading…
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What housing does the District’s workforce need?
Increasingly, DC's workforce is comprised of either high-income or low-income jobs, with few middle-income jobs available. Among DC’s most common occupations, 40% are low wage jobs that do not pay enough to cover DC’s high housing prices. Keep reading…
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Why the right is wrong about affordable housing
It's problematic to think that supply and demand don't apply to housing. But on the other end of the spectrum, a free-market approach isn’t the whole answer to housing affordability, either. Keep reading…
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Why the left is wrong about affordable housing
Whenever we discuss housing affordability, we usually hear two major opposing beliefs. Both are well-honed, clear arguments. And both are wrong — or at least, not completely right. This post will address what’s wrong with the left’s notion that supply and demand don’t apply. Keep reading…
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Let’s build more homes near transit
A coalition of affordable housing advocates, faith groups, business groups, tenants' groups, developers, and over 250 residents have unified to support more housing, more affordable housing, and targeted support for communities as DC rewrites its Comprehensive Plan. One of those priorities: Best utilize areas near transit. Keep reading…