The Department of Housing and Community Development (DHCD) is seeking public input on its recently released Five-Year Consolidated Plan for neighborhood development. An open forum will be held at the D.C. Housing Finance Agency next Wednesday, July 27.
The plan serves as a way for DHCD to analyze the needs of D.C. communities and set goals to meet these needs. DHCD must get the plan, which spells out use of five federal resources, approved by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) in order to receive those funds for community development.
Drafting the consolidated plan required coordination between many public and private entities as well as individuals. “We’re learning how to be better partners with agencies, community members, and HUD,” said Jennifer Skow, the lead coordinator for the plan. DHCD coordinated with man
This is the kind of planning required to tackle the multitude of problems low-income homeowners and those seeking housing face in the District. Thirty-eight percent of households are cost burdens, meaning it takes at least 30 percent of an individual or family’s income to stay housed. DHCD aims both to make it easier to be a homeowner in D.C. as well as to ensure that everyone has access to safe and healthy housing.
“It’s not just about providing housing, [it’s about] what the quality is like,” Skow said in an interview.
Other goals emphasized in this year’s consolidated plan include devoting more attention to racial groups with disproportionate needs, creating small community-based homeless shelters, and increasing the number of amenities like sidewalks, playgrounds and community gardens.
DHCD reached out to community members through surveys and focus groups while composing the consolidated plan, but the department is providing the public more opportunities to give feedback now that the draft is completed.
The open forum will begin at 5 p.m. for residents to learn more and is followed by a public hearing at 6:30 p.m. where comments may be given on the record. Afterward, DHCD will evaluate the public’s input and decide whether or not the plan should change. It will be submitted to HUD for approval by August 16.
“All of this is really to ask, ‘did we get it right?'” Skow said.
Written comments may also be submitted to DHCD by e-mail: [email protected].
