Yesim Sayin

Executive Director
D.C. Policy Center

Yesim Sayin is the founding Executive Director of the D.C. Policy Center.

With over twenty years of public policy experience in the District of Columbia, Dr. Sayin is recognized by policymakers, advocates and the media as a source of reliable, balanced analyses on the District’s economy and demography.  Yesim’s research interests include economic and fiscal policy, urban economic development, housing, and education. She is especially focused on how COVID-19 pandemic is changing regional and interregional economic interdependencies and what this means for urban policy. Her work is frequently covered in the media, including the Washington Post, the Washington Business Journal, the New York Times, the Wall Street Journal, WAMU, and the Washington City Paper, among others.

Before joining the D.C. Policy Center, Dr. Sayin worked at the District of Columbia Office of the Chief Financial Officer leading the team that scored the fiscal impact of all legislation the District considered. She frequently testified on high profile legislation and worked closely with the executive and Council staff to ensure that policymakers fully understand the fiscal implications of their proposed legislation. Yesim also has worked in the private sector, and consulted with international organization on a large portfolio of public finance topics.

Yesim holds a Ph.D. in economics from George Mason University in Fairfax, Virginia, and a bachelor’s degree in Political Science and International Relations from Bogazici University, located in Istanbul, Turkey. 

Written By Yesim Sayin

Housing abundance under new workforce conditions

Good afternoon, Chairman White, and members of the Committee on Housing. My name is Yesim Sayin, and I am the Executive Director of the D.C. Policy Center—an independent non-partisan think tank advancing policies for a strong, competitive, and compelling District of Columbia. I am grateful for the opportunity to testify on opportunities…

September 24, 2024 | Yesim Sayin

Priced out: Where can D.C.’s essential workers afford to live?

Other reports in this series Introduction Essential workers in the District of Columbia provide critical services for the city’s functionality and residents’ well-being. They include medical professionals, teachers, early childhood educators, first responders, and workers in the hospitality sector. Despite their importance, many of these jobs pay relatively low wages, making it…

July 18, 2024 | Yesim Sayin

Implementing budget measures for a resilient future

Good morning, Chairman Mendelson, and members of the Committee of the Whole. My name is Yesim Sayin, and I am the Executive Director of the D.C. Policy Center—an independent non-partisan think tank advancing policies for a strong, competitive, and compelling District of Columbia. I am grateful for the opportunity to testify on…

May 3, 2024 | Yesim Sayin

Laying the foundation for a resilient fiscal future for the District of Columbia

Introduction Mayor Bowser has submitted to the D.C. Council her budget proposal for Fiscal Year 2025 and the four-year financial plan period. The proposed budget represents a 7 percent growth in spending over the approved Fiscal Year 2024 budget, with significant investments in public safety and downtown recovery. It also substantially raises…

April 25, 2024 | Yesim Sayin

Identifying what investments work as schools face difficult fiscal picture

Good evening, Chairperson Thompson, and members of the DC State Board of Education.My name is Yesim Sayin, and I am the Executive Director of the D.C. Policy Center, an independent think tank focused on advancing policies for a growing, vibrant, and compelling District of Columbia. Thank you for the opportunity to testify….

April 18, 2024 | Yesim Sayin

In fiscal year 2025, the District of Columbia is facing tough choices. Without making difficult decisions now, future years will only get harder. 

Mayor Muriel Bowser’s fiscal year 2025 budget submission is delayed, reflecting the difficult decisions the Executive (and, in the coming months, the Council) must make given the dramatic devolution of the city’s fiscal picture. The District’s challenging long-term economic and fiscal outlook will not allow its budget to grow at the same…

April 2, 2024 | Yesim Sayin

Voluntary agreements facilitate repairs to older housing stock

Bill 25-0418 would abolish voluntary agreements. This will, on balance, harm tenants and housing providers. Voluntary agreements allow housing providers and tenants to mutually agree on a rent increase that is greater than what is allowed under rent control laws, in return for agreed-upon improvements in services and amenities available to tenants….

March 18, 2024 | Yesim Sayin

The fiscal future of public education in the District of Columbia

Quick Links Executive Summary The fiscal landscape of the District of Columbia has experienced a significant transformation in recent years. Despite the COVID-19 pandemic’s swift and adverse impact on residents and the economy, the District’s finances initially remained strong, buoyed by a substantial federal fiscal aid package during fiscal years 2020-2024. Federal…

February 13, 2024 | Yesim Sayin

Budget Spotlight: Looking forward to FY2025

The District’s budget season unofficially opened with the release of the FY 2023 Annual Comprehensive Financial Report on February 1st. This is the annual audit for the city, and it includes a trove of information on the city’s economic and fiscal performance during FY 2023. It is relevant to the FY 2025…

February 9, 2024 | Yesim Sayin

The future of Downtown and the future of D.C. are inseparable

The District is now operating under a new normal. Because of remote work, people in the region are commuting less, economic activity is more localized, and competition from remote, lower cost locations—be it exurbia, or a sunbelt state—is much stiffer. Revitalizing Downtown and charting a strong course for development in the vicinity…

January 9, 2024 | Yesim Sayin

Where do we go from here?

Last week was truly difficult. The potential loss of the Capitals and the Wizards to Virginia’s suburbs is a disquieting turn of events for the District’s already struggling Downtown. This news, as wounding as it is, shines a bright light on how the policy discourse in the District of Columbia must reset…

December 17, 2023 | Yesim Sayin

Loss of pandemic-related resources will test DCPS’s budgeting practices

On November 13, 2023, Executive Director Yesim Sayin testified at the Committee of the Whole’s Oversight Hearing on District of Columbia Public Schools (DCPS)’s budgeting practices.

November 14, 2023 | Yesim Sayin

Chart of the week: Job growth remains tepid with growth coming from an unlikely sector

This morning, the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) released the preliminary data for September employment. According to the data, the District added 2,190 jobs, bringing total nonfarm employment in the city (all employees in the city, regardless of their residence, reported by employer location) to 779,300. In the last 12 months, total nonfarm employment…

October 20, 2023 | Yesim Sayin

Chart of the week: How much is commercial office property worth in D.C.?

One feature of real estate is we are never sure how much a property is worth until it is sold. Usually, when estimating the value of a commercial office building, appraisers and tax assessors rely on the sales price of comparable buildings that had been recently sold. Comparable sales data offer a…

August 17, 2023 | Yesim Sayin

Chart of the week: What does the IRS migration data tell us about outmigration from D.C.?

Recently published migration data compiled by the IRS using addresses on federal income tax filings provide additional insights on the pandemic-induced exodus from the District of Columbia (national analyses here). According to these data, between tax years 2020 and 2021, net outmigration (inflow minus outflow) from the District added up to 8,365 tax filing units…

August 11, 2023 | Yesim Sayin

Chart of the week: Employment in D.C. in one chart

The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics released the most recent state and local employment numbers on Friday, July 21. These data show that as of June 2023, roughly 39 months after the pandemic began, private sector employment in D.C. is still very much in recovery.   In the last year, private sector employment…

July 28, 2023 | Yesim Sayin

Chart of the week: The long view of the District’s labor market

For the nearly fifty years since Home Rule—except for a two-year period between 1979 and 1981, the eight-year period prior to the Revitalization Act, and the few months that followed the pandemic—the District’s labor force and resident employment has grown. This happened even during periods when the labor force-eligible population (non-institutionalized residents 16 and older) was declining.

June 2, 2023 | Yesim Sayin

Programs servicing youth who are experiencing homelessness in the District of Columbia: A public expenditure review

This report examines how providers of housing for youth experiencing homelessness obtain their funding (sources of funds), how they spend this funding (uses of funds), how these vary across providers and program types, and what role D.C. government funds play in the finances of the providers. The report also presents some information on how the COVID-19 pandemic impacted the providers and what they see as risks to their financial models in the coming years. This information helps inform the city about housing capacity and funding levels.

June 1, 2023 | Yesim Sayin

Needs assessment of out-of-school time programs in the District of Columbia

Out-of-school time programs, such as afterschool and summer programs, are important to many families the District of Columbia. This report examines, for school year 2021-22, the subsidized OST seats that exist across the District, including how many are available versus needed, based on four different policy metrics. The greatest OST capacity, in raw numbers, is in wards where most students live and go to school. However, the number of students is still proportionally higher than the number of seats.

April 18, 2023 | Yesim Sayin

Chart of the week: D.C.’s FY 2024 budget forecast and calendar

D.C. faces conditions that it hasn’t seen for years—the past decade’s rapid growth trends slowing, together with federal pandemic assistance ending. The city’s revenue picture remains stable. But it not strong enough to make up for the end of federal COVID assistance. Thus, the city is already committed to spending much less in FY 2024 than it did in FY 2023, at least on paper.

January 20, 2023 | Yesim Sayin

Chart of the week: D.C. business establishments are getting smaller post pandemic. But this is because many more start-ups are taking off.

Prior to the pandemic, a typical business establishment in the District’s private sector employed 13.4 employees. By the second quarter of 2022, that number had declined to 10.7, representing a 20 percent contraction in the average establishment size. This decline was observed for all of the District’s major sectors. The average size…

January 13, 2023 | Yesim Sayin

Chart of the week: When a low unemployment rate is not good news

After peaking in April or May of 2020, unemployment rates declined across large metropolitan areas, often to below pre-pandemic levels. For example, in the Washington metropolitan area, the unemployment rate increased from 3.4 percent in January 2020 to 9.6 percent in May 2020. But the most recent data release from the Bureau…

January 6, 2023 | Yesim Sayin

Chart of the week: A look at the fare-free bus proposal

On Tuesday, D.C. Council unanimously advanced a bill that would make all Metrobus rides that begin in the District of Columbia free (upon approval of the WMATA Board). The fare-free rides are estimated to cost $34.4 million per the fiscal impact statement issued by the OCFO. In addition, the bill provides $8.5 million to support the…

December 9, 2022 | Yesim Sayin

D.C. Council Testimony on the Green New Deal for Housing Amendment Act of 2022

Bill 24-802, the “Green New Deal for Housing Amendment Act of 2022,” begins with a financially impossible proposition and makes it even costlier.   The bill is premised on the idea that higher-income tenants can cross-subsidize the rents for lower-income tenants, all combined in a mixed-income project. However, the parameters of the bill—the…

November 22, 2022 | Yesim Sayin

Testimony on the RECOVERY Amendment Act of 2021 and D.C.’s fiscal risks

Since the introduction of B24-454 in October of 2021, there have been some improvements in economic activity in the Central Business District (CBD). Office occupancy during the last week of October 2022 was at 40 percent—or 10 percentage points above the same week in October 2021. While economic activity at retail and…

November 22, 2022 | Yesim Sayin

Testimony on housing and affordable housing District-wide and downtown

Executive Director Yesim Sayin testified at a public roundtable hosted by the D.C. Office of Planning on the future of housing in downtown areas. She discussed why housing production is even more critical today than it has ever been for the city’s continued vibrancy, some of the promising ways to increase the production of housing in downtown areas (specifically those areas within the D Zone overlay), and why the Office of the Attorney General’s proposal to expand Inclusionary Zoning requirements into D Zones will impede, and not support, the goal of increasing housing, especially affordable housing in D Zones.

November 1, 2022 | Yesim Sayin

Chart of the week: The long view on labor turnover in D.C.

While job openings remain at historically high levels, employment growth has not been strong enough to make up for all the losses the District experienced since the pandemic. Since June 2020—the first month employment growth turned positive after the pandemic, D.C. added 47,000 jobs, making up about half the job loss the…

October 7, 2022 | Yesim Sayin

Chart of the week: Here, but gone: The impact of remote work on local talent

COVID-19 has changed migration trends across the entire country, pushing an increasing number of people outside of high-cost areas like the D.C. region, to lower cost, smaller metropolitan areas. When these folks move, do they take new jobs close to their new homes? Or with remote work taking hold, are they moving away but keeping their existing jobs in the region? Remote work may disguise the extent of talent shifting away from places like Washington area to elsewhere in the country.

September 30, 2022 | Yesim Sayin

Testimony on the Stop Discrimination with Algorithms Act of 2021

As drafted, the regulatory requirements of this bill would create uncertainty and a regulatory burden on a large number of D.C. businesses, including businesses or organizations whose area of work is completely disconnected from algorithms and other scoring mechanisms.

September 22, 2022 | Yesim Sayin

Testimony on the Schools First in Budgeting Amendment Act of 2021

Three of the concerns we expressed in January – implementing an inflationary adjustment in a high inflation year, baking the existing inequities into the system, and basing calculations on proposed budgets and not actual spending — remain under this staff draft. We also have two additional concerns, related to new language and stemming from new information.

September 16, 2022 | Yesim Sayin

Chart of the week: Business response to COVID in D.C. and across the country

Data released by the Bureau of Labor Statistics based on a survey of businesses across the country show that a larger share of private sector businesses in D.C. adopted telework, reduced their office space, and moved their offices, compared to the private sector establishments across the entire U.S. Across D.C., 68 percent…

July 15, 2022 | Yesim Sayin

Chart of the week: ‘Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services’ is the only subsector where employment is now above pre-pandemic levels

As of May 2022, total employment in D.C. stood at 766,900—still 38,400 below the pre-pandemic peak of 805,400 in February of 2020. Most of these job losses are in the private sector (37,600 jobs behind pre-pandemic level, accounting for 98 percent of the loss).

July 1, 2022 | Yesim Sayin

Testimony on the Confirmation Resolution of Glen M. Lee: What fiscal picture is awaiting the new CFO?

Good morning, Chairman McDuffie and members of the Committee. My name is Yesim Sayin, and I am the Executive Director of the D.C. Policy Center—an independent non-partisan think tank advancing policies for a strong, competitive, and vibrant economy in the District of Columbia.  As we welcome a new CFO to the city,…

June 15, 2022 | Yesim Sayin

Chart of the week: Which D.C. residents have returned to in-person work?

During the first two weeks of March 2022, 36 percent of working-age District residents reported working (or volunteering) outside their homes during the previous week.

April 1, 2022 | Yesim Sayin

Map of the week: Three percent of businesses migrated out of D.C. in response to the pandemic

We used United States Postal Service data to examine how business move patterns have changed in the post-pandemic era. These data show that business establishments were quick to respond to the pandemic: The net domestic outmigration of business establishments (address changes out of D.C. minus address changes into D.C.) within the first three months of the pandemic (March, April, and May of 2020) was about 3 percent of all private sector business establishments in D.C. at that time.

February 11, 2022 | Yesim Sayin

D.C. Council testimony on Bill 24-301, the “Business and Entrepreneurship Support to Thrive (BEST) Amendment Act of 2021”

The BEST Amendment Act would greatly simplify the steps businesses will need to take in order to obtain the licenses necessary to operate a business in the District of Columbia. There are costs to today’s complicated system, which may be impairing entrepreneurial success without any discernible public benefits. This reform is much needed to improve business conditions in the District.

February 7, 2022 | Yesim Sayin

Chart of the week: The tepid monthly employment numbers in D.C. hide the great churn

D.C. employment has not grown in recent months. However, this is not because of lack of job openings. In fact, we are experiencing a historically high level of job openings with an average of 41,000 job openings per month between June and November 2021—that is more than 5 percent of total employment in D.C.. But employment is not growing because employers are slower at hiring new employees, and more people are leaving their jobs at rates faster than we have ever observed.

January 28, 2022 | Yesim Sayin

D.C. Council testimony on school budget bills 24-570 and 24-571

Bill 24-571, “The Schools Full Budgeting Amendment Act of 2021” aims to prove schools budget stability by ensuring that schools will have at least the same budget as they got in the previous year unless the school loses a grade level, is poised for closure or must absorb students from a school poised for closure, or there is a systemwide shock that reduces total DCPS formula funding by more than 5 percent.

January 20, 2022 | Yesim Sayin

Testimony on office to residential conversions before the D.C. Council Special Committee on COVID-19 Pandemic Recovery

Good morning, Councilmember Allen, Councilmember Gray, and the members of the Special Committee on COVID-19 Pandemic Recovery. My name is Yesim Sayin Taylor, and I am the Executive Director of the D.C. Policy Center—an independent non-partisan think tank advancing policies for a strong and vibrant economy in the District of Columbia. I thank you for the…

October 12, 2021 | Yesim Sayin

The declining importance of commute times

Housing prices—especially the price of single-family homes—in the Washington metro region have increased rapidly since COVID-related restrictions were first implemented in March of 2020. The House Price Index (data, methodology) compiled by Federal Housing Finance Agency, shows that single-family home prices (including the appraised values for both purchased and refinanced homes) in the…

July 23, 2021 | Yesim Sayin

What is happening to the District’s personal income tax base?

The D.C. Council is considering various proposals to increase income taxes on high-income earners. Supporters argue that a tax hike is necessary to meet needs like childcare and reducing homelessness. But paying for a good cause and public support for higher taxes are only tangentially related to what constitutes good tax policy.

July 19, 2021 | Yesim Sayin

Testimony of Yesim Sayin on tax policy through a racial equity lens

Good morning, Councilmember McDuffie, and the members of the Committee on Business and Economic Development My name is Yesim Sayin Taylor, and I am the Executive Director of the D.C. Policy Center—an independent non-partisan think tank advancing policies for a strong and vibrant economy in the District of Columbia. I thank you…

May 25, 2021 | Yesim Sayin

Testimony of Yesim Sayin on transitioning out of the public health emergency

On May 21, 2021, D.C. Policy Center’s Executive Director Yesim Sayin testified before the Special Committee on COVID-19 Pandemic Recovery to share ideas on how the District can gradually transition out of the public emergency and wind down safety net supports in the least disruptive ways. You can read her testimony below…

May 21, 2021 | Yesim Sayin

The long view for the District’s budget: What is awaiting the District in Fiscal Year 2022 and beyond

COVID-19 related federal legislation and administrative actions have provided an unprecedented amount of federal funding for the District of Columbia. The American Rescue Plan Act alone—the latest in a series of federal legislative initiatives—is delivering the District $2.2 billion in operating expenditure support, $107 million for COVID-19 related capital expenditures, $386 million…

May 13, 2021 | Yesim Sayin

The establishment puzzle (and what it could mean for recovery) in the District of Columbia

The District has lost many jobs but added many businesses. Between September of 2019 and September of 2020, private sector employment in the District of Columbia declined by 12.6 percent (or 68,000 jobs lost), and wages earned in the third quarter of 2020 were 2.7 percent below where they were a year…

March 23, 2021 | Yesim Sayin

Part VI: What can the city do to keep rents low?

As renter incomes rise in the District, the upward pressure on rents in rental housing is becoming stronger. This could make policies proposed by the “Reclaim Rent Control” platform seem appropriate, since the immediate impact would be to put more units under rent control and slower rent increases. But the lower rents…

November 8, 2020 | Yesim Sayin

Part I: What are the provisions of the District’s current rent control laws?

D.C.’s rent control laws, first enacted in 1985, are designed to stabilize rents for current tenants to protect them from rapid, unreasonable increases in their rents. While landlords can increase rents from year to year, these increases must be within established parameters and be predictable. Who is covered? The rent control laws…

November 8, 2020 | Yesim Sayin

Introduction: How would the “Reclaim Rent Control” proposals change the District’s rental housing landscape?

Rising rents in the District of Columbia, along with increased pressure on rental housing from higher income renters, have led to a debate on whether to expand rent control provisions in the city. In July of 2020, the D.C. Council voted to retain the city’s rent control laws (expiring at the end…

November 8, 2020 | Yesim Sayin

Testimony on B23-873, the Rent Stabilization Program Reform and Expansion Amendment Act of 2020

Good morning, Chairwoman Bonds and members of the Committee on Housing & Neighborhood Revitalization. My name is Yesim Sayin Taylor and I am the Executive Director of the D.C. Policy Center, an independent, nonpartisan think tank committed to advancing policies for a strong and vibrant economy in the District of Columbia. I…

November 8, 2020 | Yesim Sayin

Executive Summary: How would the “Reclaim Rent Control” proposals change the District’s rental housing landscape?

The D.C. Council is considering six separate bills that would amend the District’s rent control laws. Among these six, B23-873, the Rent Stabilization Program Reform and Expansion Amendment Act of 2020, which reflects the policy proposals of the “Reclaim Rent Control” platform, offers the most comprehensive and sweeping changes, affecting every aspect…

November 8, 2020 | Yesim Sayin

Testimony of Yesim Sayin on the Tax Revision Commission Reestablishment Amendment Act of 2019

Good morning, Chairman Mendelson and members of the Committee of the Whole. My name is Yesim Sayin Taylor and I am the Executive Director of the D.C. Policy Center, an independent, nonpartisan think tank committed to advancing policies for a strong and vibrant economy in the District of Columbia. I thank you…

September 29, 2020 | Yesim Sayin

Testimony of Yesim Sayin on rent control before the DC Council Committee on Housing & Neighborhood Revitalization

Good morning, Chairwoman Bonds and members of the Committee on Housing & Neighborhood Revitalization. My name is Yesim Sayin Taylor and I am the Executive Director of the D.C. Policy Center, an independent, nonpartisan think tank committed to advancing policies for a strong and vibrant economy in the District of Columbia. I…

September 24, 2020 | Yesim Sayin

Racial Equity Evaluation of Residential Property Assessments in the District of Columbia

A recent working paper released by the Washington Center for Equitable Growth (WCEG) —and covered by the Washington Post on July 2—found that Black and Hispanic homeowners pay a higher effective tax on their homes when compared to what white homeowners pay on comparable homes, because Black- and Hispanic-owned homes are assessed…

August 11, 2020 | Yesim Sayin

Tax policy under the District’s new “fiscal normal”

COVID-19 has dramatically altered the District of Columbia’s fiscal picture. The CFO’s updated revenue estimates tell us that it will take the city at least two years to gain back the deep losses incurred in a matter of two months. When these numbers are adjusted for inflation, we see that recovery will take even…

June 16, 2020 | Yesim Sayin

Pandemic-induced unemployment has hit the District’s Hispanic, Latino, and younger workers more intensely

On Friday, May 22, the Bureau of Labor Statistics released its monthly data on employment and unemployment for states and metropolitan areas. These data show that unemployment rate in the District of Columbia now stands at 11.1 percent—the highest rate seen in recent history. The city reached this level of unemployment with…

May 26, 2020 | Yesim Sayin

How COVID-19 is affecting nonprofits in the D.C. area

The nonprofit and advocacy sector in the District of Columbia employs over 70,000 employees.[1] While some of these organizations are focused on national policy, local nonprofits play an important role in service delivery—from out-of-school time programs, to community collectives providing services to the most vulnerable residents. The D.C. Policy Center implemented a…

May 7, 2020 | Yesim Sayin

Appraising the District’s rentals

This report provides a comprehensive picture of the District’s rental housing to evaluate its capacity to create economically inclusive neighborhoods in the District of Columbia. It estimates the number and type of rental units and the buildings that hold them, and the rents that prevail. It also provides extensive data on rental apartment buildings including the rent-controlled stock as well as rental units outside the rental apartment buildings including condominiums, single-family homes, and flats.

April 1, 2020 | Yesim Sayin

Appraising the District’s rentals – Executive Summary

In the District of Columbia, where housing is prohibitively expensive and neighborhoods are economically segregated, rental housing—with its lower costs, variety of units, and a more egalitarian distribution across the city’s eight wards and many neighborhoods—offers one avenue for reducing housing burdens and mixing incomes to create affordable and inclusive neighborhoods. Rental…

April 1, 2020 | Yesim Sayin

These provisions of the federal COVID-19 legislation support and supplement state unemployment programs

The CARES Act (Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security Act) is the latest round of federal relief packages to address the COVID-19 pandemic. Following on the Families First Coronavirus Response Act, which provided sick leave and expanded FMLA for those affected by COVID-19, the CARES Act was passed by the Senate late…

March 26, 2020 | Yesim Sayin

New business formation and survival across the Washington metropolitan region

The Washington metropolitan area is one of the top regions in the country for entrepreneurship, but within the metropolitan area, jurisdictions experience different outcomes. The decisions they make affect the flow of businesses, workers, and residents across their borders, and these forces are constantly shifting: The District has seen significant economic and…

March 11, 2020 | Yesim Sayin

Testimony on the “Removing Barriers to Occupational Licensing for Returning Citizens Amendment Act of 2019”

Good morning, Chairman Allen and members of the Committee on the Judiciary & Public Safety. My name is Yesim Sayin Taylor and I am the Executive Director of the D.C. Policy Center, an independent, non-partisan think tank committed to advancing policies for a strong and vibrant economy in the District of Columbia….

January 29, 2020 | Yesim Sayin

Roughly 36 percent of D.C.’s rental housing units are rent-stabilized

Over 35 years after the enactment of the Rental Housing Act of 1985, the number of rent-stabilized units in D.C. has held up relatively well. According to D.C. Policy Center estimates based on publicly available tax data and proprietary data from CoStar, D.C. currently has close to 75,000 rent-stabilized housing units spread…

December 4, 2019 | Yesim Sayin

The economic costs of land use regulations

Land is among the most valuable assets in the United States, and its value is a function of how we use land and what we build on it. According to one study, the value of all land in the lower 48 states is estimated at about 1.4 times the nation’s Gross Domestic…

November 22, 2019 | Yesim Sayin

Testimony from Executive Director Yesim Sayin on the Rental Housing Act Extension Amendment Act of 2019

On November 13, 2019, D.C. Policy Center Executive Director Yesim Sayin Taylor testified on B23-433: the “Rental Housing Act Extension Amendment Act of 2019” before the D.C. Council Committee on Housing & Neighborhood Revitalization. Download this testimony.

November 13, 2019 | Yesim Sayin

The impact of occupational licensing requirements in D.C.

The District of Columbia has many factors in its favor making it attractive to workers: high average wages, a variety of employer benefits, strong worker protections, and relatively short commute times. At the same time, the concentration of D.C.’s employment opportunities in high-skill, high-paying jobs means that there are few opportunities for…

November 12, 2019 | Yesim Sayin

Testimony from Executive Director Yesim Sayin on the Small and Local Business Assistance Amendment Act of 2019

On November 6, 2019, D.C. Policy Center Executive Director Yesim Sayin Taylor testified on B23-404, B23-439, B23-438, and B23-432: the “Small and Local Business Assistance Amendment Act of 2019” (and related bills) before the D.C. Council Committee on Business & Economic Development. Download this testimony. Read the underlying D.C. Policy Center publication, 2019…

November 6, 2019 | Yesim Sayin

Land Value Tax – Appendix

How did we use the zoning standards to determine where zoning is restrictive or permissive? D.C.’s zoning standards are complicated. Each zone under the standards allow for multiple types of buildings. Some of the distinctions in building type have to do with use (is it a church or a house?), some with…

October 21, 2019 | Yesim Sayin

Land Value Tax: Can it Work in the District?

The idea of imposing a “land value tax” in the District pops up from time to time. Rick Rybeck at Just Economics has been promoting land value taxes for as far as I could remember. Both the 2013 Tax Revision Commission (here) and the 1997 Tax Revision Commission (here) gave consideration to…

October 21, 2019 | Yesim Sayin

D.C. single family neighborhood density: Ward 3 versus Ward 6

Ward 3 and Ward 6 both include some of the most highly-valued residential neighborhoods in the District. Both are predominately composed of single-family homes, as shown in the maps above, yet the look and feel of each ward is strikingly different. Most of Ward 3 (shown in blue in the chart below)…

July 29, 2019 | Yesim Sayin

Single-family zoning and neighborhood characteristics in the District of Columbia

Last December, Minneapolis did away with single-family zoning, permitting three-family homes in each lot, abolishing parking minimums, and allowing high-density buildings along transit corridors. In March, Seattle upzoned many of its neighborhoods, including eliminating single-family zoning in some areas. Then came Oregon, which, in late June, passed legislation to eliminate single-family zoning…

July 17, 2019 | Yesim Sayin

New survey data show D.C. employment is underperforming compared to the region

Last week, we published an analysis of employment trends in the region based on administrative data firms file with the Unemployment Insurance program, known as the Quarterly Survey of Employment and Wages (QSEW). This analysis showed that in 2018, the District outperformed the surrounding jurisdictions in employment. On June 21, the Bureau of…

June 28, 2019 | Yesim Sayin

Growing labor demand in D.C. is driving up wages

Recent reports increasingly point to a slowdown in the Washington regional economy, slower hiring in the District, and stronger private sector employment in the city. A deeper dive into jurisdictional differences across the metropolitan Washington area show that the District’s role in the region as an employment center is indeed growing. When…

June 19, 2019 | Yesim Sayin

Pharmacy access varies greatly across D.C.

The D.C. Council spent a significant amount of time discussing health access, especially access to hospitals, during budget deliberations this past month. We wondered: how does access to pharmacies—one of the simplest and most basic form of health care—vary across the city?   Pharmacies are an important link between hospitals, doctors, and patients. Pharmacies can expand the reach of preventative services in communities with less access to…

June 3, 2019 | Yesim Sayin

Testimony from Executive Director Yesim Sayin Taylor on the Fiscal Year 2020 Budget Proposal

On April 26, 2019, D.C. Policy Center Executive Director Yesim Sayin Taylor testified on the proposed Fiscal Year 2020 budget for the District of Columbia before the Committee of the Whole. Download this testimony. Read the underlying D.C. Policy Center essay “The District’s Proposed Fiscal Year 2020 Budget is a Harbinger of…

April 26, 2019 | Yesim Sayin

The District’s Proposed Fiscal Year 2020 Budget is a Harbinger of Great Fiscal Reckoning

The headlines from the proposed Fiscal Year 2020 Budget for the District of Columbia include $127.9 million in net new revenue, largely—but not entirely—raised from commercial real property. The administration rationalized these new taxes as asking the real estate sector to share the “upside,” and pay for investments in housing affordability in…

April 24, 2019 | Yesim Sayin

Commentary: D.C.’s budget is growing at a faster pace than economic fundamentals can support

Relying on short-term revenue fixes to pay for spending increases doesn’t bode well for fair and competitive tax policy. Yet this is one of several troubling aspects of Mayor Muriel Bowser’s budget proposals now under review by the DC Council. The expenditure projections tell us a lot about the future shape of…

April 2, 2019 | Yesim Sayin

Funding sources and expenditure patterns of out-of-school time programs in D.C.

Out-of-school time programs in D.C. In 2016, an estimated 33,400 children and youth attended subsidized afterschool programs in the District of Columbia, and at least 15,000 children and youth participated in subsidized summer programs. These estimates are from a report the D.C. Policy Center published in October 2017, “Needs Assessment of Out-of-School Time…

March 29, 2019 | Yesim Sayin

The Funding Landscape of Out-of-School Time Programs in the District of Columbia: Full Report

This report describes the current funding landscape of out-of-school time (OST) programs in the District of Columbia. It explores where funding for OST programs comes from, where funds are distributed, and how these funds are used. The report also explores the potential fiscal needs of expanding OST programs, opportunities that are available to expand and better use existing funds, and bottlenecks that might impair expansion efforts.

March 29, 2019 | Yesim Sayin

Chart: Deed tax revenue in D.C.

Last night, Mayor Bowser announced that her budget proposal would increase deed recordation and transfer taxes on commercial property valued at $2 million or more, in order to generate an estimated $80 million for affordable housing in the District. The chart below shows the history of deed tax revenue in D.C. since…

March 19, 2019 | Yesim Sayin

Testimony of Executive Director Yesim Taylor on Confirmation of State Superintendent of Education Hanseul Kang

On March 6, 2019, D.C. Policy Center Executive Director Yesim Sayin Taylor testified before the Committee of the Whole and the Committee on Education on the “State Superintendent of Education Hanseul Kang Confirmation Resolution of 2019.”  Read her testimony here.

March 6, 2019 | Yesim Sayin

Testimony of Executive Director Yesim Sayin on the Department of Consumer and Regulatory Affairs

On February 6, 2019, D.C. Policy Center Executive Director Yesim Sayin Taylor testified before the Committee of the Whole on “The Department of Consumer and Regulatory Affairs: What Issues Should the Committee Pursue?” On January 22, Chairman Mendelson, together with nine other members of the D.C. Council, reintroduced the Department of Buildings…

February 6, 2019 | Yesim Sayin

How big of a deal is Amazon HQ2 for the D.C. Metropolitan Region?

On October 23, the Washingtonian published an alarmist article on what receiving Amazon HQ2 could mean for the region: a massive housing shortage. The underlying analysis is a brief one produced by the Urban Institute. Though striking a much more positive tone than the coverage by the Washingtonian suggests, the Urban Institute…

November 5, 2018 | Yesim Sayin

Testimony of Executive Director Yesim Sayin Taylor on the Clean Energy DC Omnibus Amendment Act of 2018 (Bill 22-904)

On October 29, 2018, D.C. Policy Center Executive Director Yesim Sayin Taylor testified before the Committee on Business and Economic Development on Bill 22-904, the Clean Energy DC Omnibus Amendment Act of 2018. The District is considering legislation to expand its Renewable Energy Portfolio Standards (RPS requirements) so that 100 percent of…

October 29, 2018 | Yesim Sayin

Tax practices that amplify racial inequities: Property tax treatment of owner-occupied housing

Housing is the great stage on which a city is built. Housing defines how residents share the wealth created by a city and how they access its assets and amenities. Population growth and demographic changes make their imprints through the housing market, shaped by how quickly supply responds to changes in demand….

October 24, 2018 | Yesim Sayin

D.C.’s shadow rental market

When we discuss the District’s rental housing supply, those discussions usually center on units in apartment buildings, as opposed to units that are rented out by their owners. However, in the District of Columbia, units rented out by their owners—often referred to as the shadow rental market—account for a significant portion of the…

October 10, 2018 | Yesim Sayin

Testimony of Executive Director Yesim Sayin Taylor on the “Clean Energy DC Omnibus Amendment Act of 2018”

The District is considering legislation to expand its Renewable Energy Portfolio Standards (RPS requirements) so that 100 percent of all electricity will come from renewable energy sources by 2032. The bill will also limit the ways in which suppliers can comply with the RPS. In 2017, the estimated demand in DC for…

October 9, 2018 | Yesim Sayin

Executive Director Yesim Sayin Taylor’s testimony on the repeal of Initiative 77

As the Council is considering to repeal Initiative 77, organizations supporting this initiative are putting out a lot of analysis to buttress their claims.  One such report published last week received a lot of coverage and attention. But the study fails to meet the standard tests of reliability, and its findings should be ignored. Executive…

September 17, 2018 | Yesim Sayin

The carbon tax is not a freebie

Some might see the revenue from a carbon tax a boon, but this tax will undermine the District’s economy and fiscal strengths. All taxes impose some economic costs, but costs of a carbon tax imposed on the District businesses and residents only, and not the rest of the metro area, will be…

June 18, 2018 | Yesim Sayin

The District’s tax policy is moving away from first principles

January 1, 2018 was the day the District fully implemented its tax reform that began in 2015. January 1 was also the day of its undoing. January 1, 2018 was the day the District fully implemented its tax reform that began in 2015. The Federal Tax Cut and Jobs Act of 2018,…

May 21, 2018 | Yesim Sayin

Taking Stock of the District’s Housing Stock: The Full Report

Quick links Summary of the report and its key findings and conclusions can be found here. PDF of the full report here. Chapter 1. Introduction Housing policies are central to the inclusiveness of a city. Housing defines, in large part, how residents share the wealth created by a city and how they access its assets…

March 27, 2018 | Yesim Sayin

Taking Stock of the District’s Housing Stock: Capacity, Affordability, and Pressures on Family Housing

The D.C. Policy Center report “Taking Stock of the District’s Housing Stock: Capacity, Affordability and Pressures on Family Housing” provides a comprehensive picture of the District’s housing stock to explore a longer-term view of housing affordability, especially for low and middle-income families in the District of Columbia. Taking Stock creates a new dataset…

March 27, 2018 | Yesim Sayin

Testimony from Executive Director Yesim Sayin Taylor on the Comprehensive Plan Amendment Act of 2018

On Tuesday March 20, 2018, D.C. Policy Center Executive Director Yesim Sayin Taylor will testify on Bill 22-663, the Comprehensive Plan Amendment Act of 2018. Read her full testimony here.

March 20, 2018 | Yesim Sayin

The loss of DC TAG could disrupt college attendance among the children of low-income families

On February 12, 2018, the Trump Administration announced it had eliminated funding for the DC Tuition Assistance Grant (DC TAG) program in its Fiscal Year 2019 Budget Request to Congress. If the Congress follows through—and this is still a big if —District families will lose $40 million in federal funding that helps…

February 14, 2018 | Yesim Sayin

The federal tax law changes will increase District revenue, but this is no “windfall”

January marks the beginning of the preparations for the District’s Fiscal Year 2019 budget—the budget that would go into effect in October of 2018. The Mayor will send her budget bills to the Council at the end of March; the Council will hold hearings in April and pass the budget, with its own…

January 17, 2018 | Yesim Sayin

Twenty years after the Revitalization Act, the District of Columbia is a different city

This article is adapted from “The 2017 State of Business in the District of Columbia: Twenty Years of Change Since the Revitalization Act,” a report D.C. Policy Center prepared for the DC Chamber of Commerce. The 1990s were not a good decade for the District of Columbia. The nation was rocked by…

December 19, 2017 | Yesim Sayin

Elimination of SALT deduction is trouble for DC’s future population growth

Elimination of SALT deduction would make D.C. less desirable relative to several other counties in the metro area, making the city less attractive for future residents. Many have written on the State and Local Tax (SALT) deduction, including our own David Brunori, who points out that SALT deduction is regressive (although the…

December 7, 2017 | Yesim Sayin

Needs Assessment of Out-of-School Time Programs in the District of Columbia (2017)

Abstract This report describes the current landscape of out-of-school time (OST) programs in the District of Columbia. It takes stock of existing OST programs and assesses the extent to which these programs are meeting the needs of children and youth attending D.C. public and public charter schools. The report focuses on “subsidized”…

October 24, 2017 | Yesim Sayin

Out-of-School Time Programs in D.C.: Mismatches in capacity and need

Today, the D.C. Policy Center is releasing a new report, “Needs Assessment of Out-of-School Time Programs in the District of Columbia,” which examines the extent to which out-of-school time programs—offered after school and during the summer—are meeting the needs of children and youth attending D.C. public and public charter schools. We worked…

October 24, 2017 | Yesim Sayin

Executive Director Yesim Taylor’s testimony on universal paid leave

Executive director Yesim Sayin Taylor gave testimony on October 10th, 2017 about the universal paid leave bills in the D.C. Council.  Read the testimony in our Paid Leave Testimony release.

October 10, 2017 | Yesim Sayin

Executive Director Yesim Taylor’s testimony on transportation benefits

Executive director Yesim Sayin Taylor gave testimony on September 25th, 2017 about the “Transportation Benefits Equity Amendment Act of 2017” in the D.C. Council.  Read the testimony in our transportation benefits release.

September 25, 2017 | Yesim Sayin

The demographics of walking and biking to work tell yet another story of gentrification

Urban planners and local governments attach great value to cultivating neighborhoods where residents are close to public transportation or can walk or bike to work. D.C. has also adopted this approach. The city has built over 70 miles of bike lanes, passed a rigorous law to protect bicyclist and improve pedestrian safety, implemented the Vision Zero program…

June 6, 2017 | Yesim Sayin

Can fiscal risks be eliminated with more taxing and more spending?

The District’s progressive advocacy organizations have put together an impressive coalition, urging the Mayor and the Council to reverse the tax cuts that are current law, remove local reserve requirements the District imposed on itself in 2011, and use this money to increase spending. This coalition says potential federal budget cuts will…

April 10, 2017 | Yesim Sayin

Five maps that explain the Washington region’s economy

Our region is unique in that it spans two states plus D.C., and at times accounting for its breadth can be difficult. But to understand the economy on a macro level, we have to look beyond borders. These maps show some of the key features of the massive unit that is the…

March 13, 2017 | Yesim Sayin

Broadening Our Thinking on the District: The Framework for the D.C. Policy Center

For an economist, it is odd to think of Washington D.C. as an entity separate from the Washington Metropolitan Area. Metropolitan areas are natural units of analysis for economic and demographic activity, where businesses and residents locate in areas that are most advantageous to their situations. Both the center and the surrounding…

March 8, 2017 | Yesim Sayin