Today I am pleased to release the Council’s second health note. It examines the Housing Element (Chapter 5) of the “Comprehensive Plan Amendment Act of 2020” (Bill 24-1), as introduced on January 4, 2021 on behalf of the Mayor.
This health note was authored by the Pew Charitable Trusts and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation’s Health Impact Project through its partnership with the Council’s Office of the Budget Director.
HEALTH NOTE
Health notes identify the potential and often-overlooked connections between policy and health to provide legislators with data to support decision-making. Each note describes the evidence and categorizes its strength. However, they are not intended to make definitive or causal predictions about how a proposed bill will affect the health and well-being of constituents, nor do they provide a cost-benefit analysis or recommend supporting or opposing legislation.
FOCUS: COMPREHENSIVE PLAN - HOUSING ELEMENT
The health note examines parts of the Comprehensive Plan that encourage or support:
Developing market rate and affordable housing in high-cost areas;
Equitable distribution of affordable, mixed-income, and market-rate housing across the District;
Leveraging zoning incentives and Inclusionary Zoning requirements to develop more affordable housing units;
Creating large family units;
Maximizing opportunities to co-locate affordable housing when a public facility is created of upgraded; and
Preserving subsidized or low-cost rental units, especially in high cost or rapidly changing neighborhoods.
FINDINGS: POTENTIAL HEALTH EFFECTS
The health note reviews the available evidence on the potential health effects of the Comprehensive Plan’s Housing Element. Its key findings include:
There is strong evidence that housing insecurity and unaffordability can harm physical and mental health.
There is strong evidence that neighborhood conditions can influence residents’ health.
There is mixed evidence on the health effects of relocating households from high poverty to lower poverty neighborhoods.
Creating affordable housing near public transit can increase low-income D.C. residents’ access to jobs, neighborhood satisfaction, and physical activity.
Success may depend on implementation strategies.
To complete this health note, which was reviewed by subject-matter experts, the Health Impact Project staff screened 1,310 titles and abstracts published between 2016 and 2021.
The Council’s first health note was on the “Comprehensive Policing and Justice Reform Amendment Act of 2020” (Bill 23-882).
As always, my team and I are available to answer any questions you may have.
Jen Budoff