Housing Affordability Planning Program awards funding to eight local planning projects for housing near transit

At its monthly meeting, the Metropolitan Washington Council of Governments (COG) Board of Directors approved $500,000 in grants to support eight local planning initiatives and development projects which address the need for more housing near transit areas, affordable to those with lower incomes.

The grants were awarded through the Housing Affordability Planning Program (HAPP), financially supported through the Amazon Housing Equity Fund. HAPP awards small, flexible grants up to $75,000 to area local governments or non-profit housing developers engaged in the planning, approval, or development of housing near transit stations.

The winning proposals will address the diverse housing needs across the region-two of the projects will create new rental housing units with long-term affordability restrictions, another two proposals will address the need for long-term affordable homeownership opportunities, and four will support local government actions to increase opportunities for affordable housing. Six proposals are in COG-designated Activity Centers, seven proposals are in or near High-Capacity Transit Station Areas (HCTs), and six proposals will serve residents in Equity Emphasis Areas (EEAs). The COG Board has endorsed HCTs and EEAs as key concepts to inform regional planning and future growth and investment decisions.

In 2019, the COG Board adopted three regional housing targets calling for at least 75,000 additional housing units by 2030 beyond the 245,000 new units already anticipated, at least 75 percent of the units in Activity Centers or High-Capacity Transit Station Areas (HCTs), and at least 75 percent of the units affordable to low-and-middle income households.

In addition to the region's housing targets, these projects also support climate, equity, and transit priorities featured in COG's Region United: Metropolitan Washington Planning Framework for 2030.

A selection panel of housing experts reviewed and scored the applications for the grant funding.