DC offers people $12,000 to relocate closer to the city.

[MathiasOfAthens]

Washington, D.C. Offers $12,000 to People Who Move Near Work

Sure, in a perfect world, we'd all live near work. A short commute saves time and money and makes it easy to bike or walk to the office. But in the real world there are lots of factors affecting where we choose to live, and work is only one of them.

Perhaps moving to be near your job would be more appealing if it came with $12,000 dollars. Washington, D.C.'s Office of Planning is launching a pilot program called Live Near Your Work that will match up to $6,000 in incentives that businesses offer to employees to move near work or public transit. The new digs just have to be within two miles of work, within half a mile of a Metro station, or within a quarter mile of a "high-quality" bus corridor. The program has $200,000 to give out in total, which isn't much, but that's just for this initial phase.

If it works, this program could help reduce traffic and pollution in the area, spur an urban revitalization, and improve the quality of life of the people who participate. And with $12,000 in incentives to move and no need to buy $4 gas, you could buy one hell of a bike.

I would do this...

Anyway hope the mods dont close this until it gets to page 2 I kinda want people to see this.

[Don in the North]

wow a whole 16 people. is it per person or per family and if its per person do the kids get 12 grand as well

[HissingNewt]

Sounds like a good idea.

[YuriVII]

I bet it is houshold to household. I would sure do it. do you guys know what the commute is like in DC/Northern Virginia? Hell yeah I would move from Fairfax to DC for 12 grand. I dont know how good a policy it is, but I like the sound of 12 grand.

[sdjenkyn]

Its good in theory until you take in to account the cost of living and much higher property values compared to the suburbs (my opinion since I dont know what DC area is like but base that on the metro area where I live)that and the fact that "your" company may relocate to a cheaper area (rent) or transfer you to another branch and now you are commuting again. If these big cities want denser population bases then they need to regulate property values instead of concerning themselves with dollar packages......sounds too much like what the mortgage companies were doing to entice people to buy homes they couldnt afford in the first place.

[YuriVII]

Its good in theory until you take in to account the cost of living and much higher property values compared to the suburbs (my opinion since I dont know what DC area is like but base that on the metro area where I live)that and the fact that "your" company may relocate to a cheaper area (rent) or transfer you to another branch and now you are commuting again. If these big cities want denser population bases then they need to regulate property values instead of concerning themselves with dollar packages......sounds too much like what the mortgage companies were doing to entice people to buy homes they couldnt afford in the first place.

Fairfax County (suburban area on the Virginia side of the Potomac) has the second highest median income of all Counties in the United States. Hollywood County beats it out. DC itself is a 10x10 square mile diamond filled with Federal buildings some posh residential areas in the Northwest and its infamous ghettos (which are actually starting to get gentrified) in the East. But most people who work in DC live in Maryland or Virginia.


Molonthegreat. There are some really sketchy areas of Washington DC, primarily in the South Eastern quadrant, but then you got ambassadors and top federal officials living around NW quadrant aswell as students.

[MathiasOfAthens]

You can find apartments for around 500-800 dollars per month... thats not a lot. Unless your picky and want a huge flat... but then again the purpose of this proposal is to convince people working in the city to relocate closer to their work. So they obviously already make a lot to begin with. My Dad use to pay around 1500 for a suburban house so compare that to the price of apartments in the city and its a lot cheaper.

Plus this is just the first stage if it is effective they will unroll it again.

[sdjenkyn]

You can find apartments for around 500-800 dollars per month... thats not a lot. Unless your picky and want a huge flat... but then again the purpose of this proposal is to convince people working in the city to relocate closer to their work. So they obviously already make a lot to begin with. My Dad use to pay around 1500 for a suburban house so compare that to the price of apartments in the city and its a lot cheaper.

Plus this is just the first stage if it is effective they will unroll it again.

I would seriously doubt that 12000 is for living in an apt. Detroit has a similar initiative in play too and its premise is to put more middle class\ city employees in single family homes to help improve depressed neighborhoods. I would assume that 12 g's is a down payment on a permanent residence.

[MathiasOfAthens]

The 12K is to relocate within 2.5 miles of your work in the city or near a train or heavy bus station. If its a mansion or an apartment, doesnt matter.

[molonthegreat]

Isn't Washington D.C a criminal hellhole? Since I doubt people would move somewhere unsafe even though they would get 12 000 dollars.

[MathiasOfAthens]

Really a hellhole?

Gaza is a ing hellhole, seriously dude have you even visited your capital. Tell you what cause I know you havnt. Watch videos online of DC or use google maps and drive the car through the city.

Really the ing capital of the US is a hellhole? Not even Brooklyn is a hellhole.

[molonthegreat]

Really a hellhole?

Gaza is a ing hellhole, seriously dude have you even visited your capital. Tell you what cause I know you havnt. Watch videos online of DC or use google maps and drive the car through the city.

Really the ing capital of the US is a hellhole? Not even Brooklyn is a hellhole.

Well I mean by U.S standards, I mean I looked it up on Wikipedia and it said that Washington D.C had been the murder capital of U.S for a while but that it had calmed down but it was still substantial amounts of crime. Hellhole was bad word to use but it seems like there's a lot of crime there and yes I have visited my Capital which is Stockholm which I believe is quite normal when it comes to crime.

[HissingNewt]

Well I mean by U.S standards, I mean I looked it up on Wikipedia and it said that Washington D.C had been the murder capital of U.S for a while but that it had calmed down but it was still substantial amounts of crime.

Really? Not New Orleans for murder capitol?

[MathiasOfAthens]

Well I mean by U.S standards, I mean I looked it up on Wikipedia and it said that Washington D.C had been the murder capital of U.S for a while but that it had calmed down but it was still substantial amounts of crime. Hellhole was bad word to use but it seems like there's a lot of crime there and yes I have visited my Capital which is Stockholm which I believe is quite normal when it comes to crime.

Oh, lol.

Förlåt att jag inte visste att du var svenska ... Jag bor i södra Stockholm men jag är från Kalifornien.

DC is very beautiful but is hardly bad. There are countless areas of the city that are beautiful to live in, like Adams Morgan, Logans circle and Dupont Circle. Outside of the city reachable by transit you would find cities like Arlington and Rosslyn in the South and Silver Spring and Bethesda in the North. DC is one of the most beautiful cities in the US and thats saying something cause I really love Boston but DC is just to ing die for.

Really? Not New Orleans for murder capitol?

Newark would be hole capital of America. It reclaimed its place after New Orleans was cleaned up following Katrina.

[HissingNewt]

Newark would be hole capital of America. It reclaimed its place after New Orleans was cleaned up following Katrina.

True, New Orleans did improve after the Katrina rebuilding (mostly to Houston's detriment). I believe I've driven through Newark twice to get to the airport from NYC, but other than that I can't comment.

DC is a truly beautiful city, though. Especially in the Capitol area with the parks and monuments scattered around.

[molonthegreat]

Oh, lol.

Förlåt att jag inte visste att du var svenska ... Jag bor i södra Stockholm men jag är från Kalifornien.

DC is very beautiful but is hardly bad. There are countless areas of the city that are beautiful to live in, like Adams Morgan, Logans circle and Dupont Circle. Outside of the city reachable by transit you would find cities like Arlington and Rosslyn in the South and Silver Spring and Bethesda in the North. DC is one of the most beautiful cities in the US and thats saying something cause I really love Boston but DC is just to ing die for.

Nja jag är ju en man så då blir det en svensk .

As for Washington D.C I'm sure it's beautiful but it's seems like that in large parts of the city there's much crime and if you're looking to raise a family I think most people would rather just stay in the suburb.

Sphere: That's seem kind of stupid, shouldn't congress be focused on running the entire country instead of running the entire country and controlling a city of 5 million on the side, it also seems to be rather easy not to be concerned with the crimes when they live in the wealthy areas where crime isn't a factor.

[MathiasOfAthens]

True, New Orleans did improve after the Katrina rebuilding (mostly to Houston's detriment). I believe I've driven through Newark twice to get to the airport from NYC, but other than that I can't comment.

DC is a truly beautiful city, though. Especially in the Capitol area with the parks and monuments scattered around.

I think Houston benefited? Didnt it receive countless refugees from Orleans? How did Houston fair worse with the rebuilding?

Nja jag är ju en man så då blir det en svensk .

As for Washington D.C I'm sure it's beautiful but it's seems like that in large parts of the city there's much crime and if you're looking to raise a family I think most people would rather just stay in the suburb.

Sphere: That's seem kind of stupid, shouldn't congress be focused on running the entire country instead of running the entire country and controlling a city of 5 million on the side, it also seems to be rather easy not to be concerned with the crimes when they live in the wealthy areas where crime isn't a factor.

Sounds stupid to me too... I suppose congress would have to approve the budgets but they prob dont write the laws and bills otherwise there wouldnt be any rail system in DC.

Thats true there is crime there but theres crime everywhere and when theres more density it seems like theres a higher risk of having your home broken into but if that was the case then DC wouldnt be as beautiful as it is... a lot of people live in the city and dont run into crime at all.

As for family, the city has a lot of parks which are perfect for children... anyway, I just think your got a misconception of DC, its def not the murder capital of the world/US.

[Panzerbear]

what an unbelievable waste of taxpayers' money.

[MathiasOfAthens]

what an unbelievable waste of taxpayers' money.

Dont worry you dont live in DC and didnt pay a cent to encourage more people to move to DC and thus make transit options and living conditions better.

[Sphere]

DC is always vying with Baltimore for the worst crime/murder rate in the US. The downtown area's are particularily notorious. Part of the problem is the US Congress constitutionally controls the budget of DC and it is generally considered to be underfunded.

So I don't think the ~$12,000 is going to do much. Its not enough to entice people who already live in the suburbs to move.

what an unbelievable waste of taxpayers' money.

If it worked as planned (which I doubt) it would be very cost effective. Road/metro construction/maintainence costs are incredibly expensive especially in dense urban area's.