A Majority of Black D.C. Residents Say Redevelopment Has Mostly Been a Bad Thing

Washington, D.C., may not be the most expensive place to live in the country, but it can certainly feel like it. Nearly half of renters pay 30 percent of their income towards housing, and nearly a quarter shell out 50 percent. After a Recession-era lull, new construction is going up all over the city center, but it’s mostly in the form of spangly high-rises, which aren’t bringing down housing costs. Meanwhile, affordable stock is in decline.

It’s no wonder, then, that a rising share of D.C. residents feel insecure about housing. In a random-sample survey of 1,005 adults conducted by the Washington Post, a majority (56 percent) say that if they had to move tomorrow, they would have to look to the suburbs to find something affordable and appealing.