DC’s cost of living is 53% higher than the national average, with housing costs 144% above the national average. Layers upon layers of fees, regulations, and requirements have made housing production expensive and progress slow. Meaningful yet simple reforms to create more housing will ultimately lower its cost and raise the quality of living for all residents.

The good news is: DC is a national leader in affordable housing. But to truly address the high cost of living in DC, we need to remove roadblocks that prevent building and creating housing for all income levels.

Opportunity DC has successfully persuaded our elected leaders to modernize decades-old regulations that have driven up housing costs. There’s much more to do – easing restrictions on home rental and ADU construction, creating purchasing programs for first responders, and more – because homeownership is foundational to long-term prosperity.