Viewpoint: Amazon’s HQ2 can inspire action on region’s housing challenges

Alarmist headlines about Amazon’s impact on Greater Washington are both exaggerated and missing a critical point. The power is ours to grow inclusively or not. Whether with 25,000 or 50,000 new jobs, Amazon’s arrival could help us make the right choice. 

The Washington region’s affordability challenges are real, but they are not like the extremes of markets such as San Francisco or Seattle and do not need to become more so. Affordable housing advocates and local housing officials need help building support for smart strategies that grow housing supply affordable to different kinds of families and protect the culture and affordability of the region’s communities. We can capitalize on the region’s ability to attract new employers to strengthen the housing market, so it better meets the needs of households across the income spectrum. 

The prospect of Amazon’s arrival has focused attention on this regional pivot point. It has brought new partners to the conversation about…