We propose that the District of Columbia adopt what we call light-touch density policies in the next version of its Comprehensive Plan. These policies enable modest redevelopment of single-family lots into duplexes, triplexes, and townhomes. They would create thousands of family-sized homes that are affordable for middle-income households and offer a practical, equitable, and fiscally responsible path to addressing DC’s housing affordability crisis. Light-touch density would expand homeownership, support multigenerational living, and generate over $1.2 billion in new tax revenue over the next decade. It would also help reverse the legacy of exclusionary zoning and broaden access to high-opportunity neighborhoods.