. . .a broad based coalition to encourage an increased supply of workforce housing for the economic vitality of our region

Submission Deadline: September 15, 2008

The Workforce Housing Endorsement Coalition is now accepting submissions of development proposals with a workforce housing component. Let us help you through the development review process!

Our goal is to raise consciousness for workforce housing through broad-based endorsement of individual developments.

As lead sponsor, the ULI Terwilliger Center for Workforce Housing aims to mobilize the private sector to measurably increase the production of workforce housing by engaging large employers, local developers, public officials, and financiers. A major barrier to the creation of workforce housing is the lack of public support.

The Workforce Housing Endorsement Coalition is seeking area projects for their first ever endorsement and awards program. An endorsed proposal must have 10 percent of its residential units targeted for households with 60 percent to 120 percent of the area median income. Eligible for consideration are residential or mixed-use proposals (both new construction and rehabilitation) in the greater Washington, D.C. area exemplifying workforce housing principles.

Download application here (Microsoft Word)

 About the Coalition

The Workforce Housing Endorsement Coalition is a partnership whose members have joined forces to recognize and endorse well-designed and strategically located workforce housing in the Washington, D.C. metropolitan area. The coalition is composed of local governments, employers, employee-advocates, nonprofits, and private development firms

• The Coalition will offer public support for for-sale and rental housing developments that include workforce housing.
• The Coalition will raise local government and public consciousness about the need for workforce housing
• The Coalition will endorse projects that demonstrate, by example, that workforce housing can be profitably developed

Who can apply?
Residential or mixed-use projects (both new construction and rehabilitation) that either are currently, or soon will be, under regulatory review by a local jurisdiction in the Washington, D.C., area. The Coalition also welcomes applications from completed developments.

• The proposed or completed development will be evaluated against a series of criteria established by the Coalition.

What are the criteria each project will be evaluated against?
Affordability. The development should include at least 10 percent of the minimum legal mandate, of workforce units, that are between 60 and 120 percent of the area median income. Projects that include workforce units above the legally mandated minimums, or extend the affordability terms beyond what is legally required, will be given additional consideration.

Size and Location. The development should contain at least eight workforce housing units, or the workforce housing units together should exceed 50 percent of the total project size. Special consideration will be given to the proximity of the workforce housing to employment centers and/or transit nodes.

Design. The project should promote principles of good urban design: pedestrian- and transit-friendly site planning; contextual design such as compatibility of style, scale, facades, and integration with existing neighborhood character where appropriate; increased density that maintains compatibility with streetscape and neighborhood scale.

Community Involvement. Projects for which the developer has involved the community in the design and planning or has provided the opportunity for neighborhood feedback will receive additional consideration.

Innovation. Projects should demonstrate creativity and innovation. Examples of creativity and innovation may include the following: creative initiatives to improve unit affordability to ensure long-term sustainability of the workforce units; resourceful use of land sites for residential development: for example, publicly owned land, conversion of land, brownfield sites, use conversion; inclusion of employer/employee housing strategies; developments built through a public/private partnership; reduction costs incurred by the residents: for example, condo fees or homeowner association dues; incorporation of energy-efficient materials and green building principles; or integration of various income groups within a development; and parking strategies such as the provision of space for car-sharing vehicles

What type of support can the Workforce Housing Endorsement Coalition give my project?
The Coalition can offer a range of support, including:

• An official letter of endorsement
• Media and press announcements highlighting the benefits of the projects and the coalition’s endorsement
• Public testimony at hearings
• Attendance and promotion at neighborhood meetings
• Attendance at meetings with public officials
• Education of the merits of workforce housing in general
• Publication of the endorsement on materials produced by the Coalition and its members

What is the review process?
The review process will adhere to these key steps:

• Developer submits project profile
• Initial reviewer prescreens the project: analyzes proposal, visits site, discusses plan with municipality, meets with project proponents and known opponents. Additional material may be requested.
• Jury evaluates proposals based on pre-qualifying criteria. Jury members are representatives from coalition partners and land use experts in the region.
• Letter of endorsement is sent to the developer.
• Further public support needs determined and acted upon.