Low Income Housing for 350k

Do you know why DC's "economic revitalization" won't last for long? People like Deputy Mayor Stanley Jackson live in a dreamworld:

"Jackson said the construction of low-cost housing is only one of redevelopment's benefits. Citing examples in Southeast, he said boarded-up buildings that were a bastion for "prostitution, drugs and stolen cars" have been reborn as townhouses "that are available to low income and working class residents." He defined affordable units as costing between $200,000 and $350,000." (Washington Post, 7/28/06)

"Affordable units" for $350,000? In Southeast? Does that mean an English Basement with views of burning murder vans? What working class residents can afford down payments on $200k+ homes? I've got a decent middle class income and can't afford to buy Guinness.

I've lived here for about seven years. DC has really changed in that time. Logan Circle is now known for Whole Foods instead of prostitutes. I can ride my bike down Sherman Avenue without fear of crossfire. And yet certain things just don't seem right.

DCLofts.com boasts information on 400 CONDO DEVELOPMENTS. Take a walk down 14 Street NW and you'll see enormous empty condo developments being built one right after the other. Who's going to live in these places? Who can possibly afford them? Young professionals? Empty Nesters?

Ok.

But that's a small subset of a much larger population that wants to live here but can't afford it. There are only so many people who can afford $350k "units" in Southeast, not to mention million dollar condos in Columbia Heights.