In 2018, when we launched the Washington Housing Initiative (WHI), a public-private partnership with the Federal City Council, our goal was to help our community thrive by increasing housing stability for working people. From the beginning, our approach was centered around equity in affordable housing, not just equality.

While equality is giving everyone the same thing, equity means providing people with what they need to thrive — recognizing that not everyone starts in the same place. That means providing housing that is not only affordable but also located in highopportunity neighborhoods where residents are more likely to flourish.

Across the Washington region, people essential to the well-being of our communities are being priced out of these types of neighborhoods— police officers, firefighters, teachers, nurses, administrative assistants, IT technicians, paralegals and so many others. They’re known as “the missing middle,” and many earn too much to qualify for housing assistance, but not enough to keep up with rising rents.