TAP Series: Advancing Affordable Housing in DC and the National Capital Region

We’re thrilled to announce two TAPs in a series on Lowering the Costs of Affordable Housing in DC and the National Capital Region. This body of work will be conducted in partnership with The Coalition and Housing&, with the support of Amazon’s Housing Equity Fund.

Read more about these two TAPs below and apply to be a panelist!

TAP 1: Lowering the Cost of Affordable Housing in DC

Dates of TAP: Wednesday, February 4; and Thursday, February 5, 2025
Deadline for Applications: Friday, December 19, 2025
Study Topic: Affordable Housing Policy in Washington, DC
Sponsor: The Coalition

About the Assignment

This TAP will develop policy reform strategies to reduce Affordable Housing costs in Washington, DC. Panelists will create a data-driven framework to lower per-unit development and operating costs, guiding The Coalition—a nonprofit focused on equitable housing—in advocating and implementing practical solutions. Recommendations will promote safety, quality, and sustainability while reducing costs. They will equip The Coalition and its members with tools for stronger advocacy and implementation, outline effective partnerships, assign roles to DC agencies, and prioritize efficient use of public resources.

The vision: systemic, mutually beneficial change in DC’s Affordable Housing landscape.

TAP Goals:

1. Identify policies and reforms that would decrease the per-unit cost of developing and preserving Affordable Housing in DC.
2. Develop a framework for tools to help home builders overcome rising costs associated with creating Affordable Housing in the District.
3. Propose a structure for The Coalition and District Government Agencies to advance the creation of more housing to meet both District goals and residents’ needs.

TAP 2: Integrating Affordable Housing into Neighborhoods Across the National Capital Region

Dates of TAP: Wednesday, February 18; and Thursday, February 19, 2025
Deadline for Applications: Wednesday, December 31, 2025
Study Topic: Affordable Housing Policy in Washington, DC
Sponsor: Housing&

About the Assignment
This TAP will seek to address the legacy of segregation in the National Capital Region, where high-opportunity neighborhoods remain predominantly inaccessible to most residents. Barriers like single-family-only zoning, high land costs, and community opposition drive up costs to all involved in the process of building Affordable Housing.

The TAP will develop a scalable system to engage residents in neighborhoods across the Region in tandem with policy reform that can address the costs associated with common barriers. Expert input is needed to design a program to engage pro-housing advocates and build a scalable network of these advocates in areas where current residents traditionally oppose new housing in their neighborhoods.

The vision: A grassroots approach to shift narratives, foster inclusive communities, and create pathways for equitable housing development where it is most needed.

TAP Goals:

1. Articulate the full scope of cost drivers hindering delivery of Affordable Housing in the Region, especially in high-opportunity neighborhoods.
2. Identify legal and policy changes in the Region that can make it easier to build Affordable Housing in these neighborhoods.
3. Develop specific strategies for engaging with residents in traditionally “NIMBY” neighborhoods.