Pew proposes office-to-coliving conversions for affordable housing in DC

A new report from the Pew Charitable Trusts and architecture firm Gensler highlights Washington, DC, as well suited for converting vacant office buildings into low-cost, dorm-style “coliving” housing—a solution that could simultaneously address rising rents, growing homelessness, and record office vacancies in the District.

According to the report, converting an underutilized twelve-story downtown DC office building into microapartments with shared kitchens, bathrooms, and living areas could generate more than 500 units of centrally located housing. The proposed units average 217 square feet—larger than similar conversions in other cities—but still cost significantly less to build than standard studio apartments. Estimated conversion costs run around $238,700 per unit, well below the o$400,000 or more needed for new affordable studio construction in DC.

The coliving model repurposes existing office infrastructure by placing shared plumbing-intensive spaces—kitchens and bathrooms—in the core of the building while private bedrooms line the exterior. This layout avoids costly plumbing retrofits, and the smaller unit sizes reduce construction costs per square foot by up to 35 percent compared to traditional apartment conversions.

Critically for DC, the affordability impact is substantial: rents for the new units could average $1,000—affordable for residents earning 40 percent of the area median income. These conversions would especially benefit the city’s high share of single-person renter households, currently at 56 percent.

While private developers are unlikely to take on these projects without assistance, the report argues that modest, one-time public subsidies—about $125,000 per unit—would make the economics viable. These upfront costs are far lower than those associated with typical affordable housing developments and do not require ongoing government support. Still, with office vacancy rates high and demand for affordable rentals growing, co-living may be the most cost-effective path forward.

Tags: housing affordability, DC development, co-living, office conversions, urban policy, public-private partnerships, Gensler, Pew Charitable Trusts, downtown revitalization, homelessness