In the U.S., support is growing for housing in the missing middle category. These housing types are gaining support in highly populated metros suffering from housing shortages.
What Is Missing Middle Housing?
Missing middle housing is a category that sits between single-family homes and large multi-family apartment complexes. Generally, it refers to properties that have multiple units while retaining the feel of single-family properties. They are made to be walkable, diverse, and population dense without the impersonal feel of an apartment building or the maintenance requirements of a single-family home.
This housing category is often called “missing middle housing” because these types of homes are uncommon or illegal in many places under today’s zoning laws. In previous generations, homeowners may have opted to build an additional unit on their property as a rental, whereas today they may not be permitted to do so.
Duplexes, fourplexes, and bungalow courts are all examples of missing middle housing.
Walkable Neighborhoods
A defining characteristic of missing middle housing is the walkability of the neighborhood. A walkable neighborhood is one which contains these elements:
- A defined central point (public square, main street, etc.).
- High population density.
- Mixed zoning use (residential, business).
- Mixed income residents.
- Public transportation.
- Public spaces (parks, recreational areas).
- People-centric design (back parking lots, spacious sidewalks, roadside store fronts).
- Close proximity to schools and workplaces.
- Multi-purpose street designs for pedestrians, cyclists, transit, etc.
Support of Missing Middle Housing
People in the U.S. are increasingly supportive of missing middle housing. More prospective homebuyers and renters are interested in living in these types of homes, while current homeowners have a growing interest in putting up additional units on their properties.
West Coast Neighborhoods
Residents in West Coast metros are more supportive of missing middle housing overall, particularly adding extra residential units to their existing lots. The most support comes from homeowners in San Diego, Seattle, and San Francisco.
Many larger West Coast metros have housing shortages. Missing middle housing in the form of add-ons to existing lots is seen as a suitable solution to create additional housing, without disrupting existing homes or building new apartment complexes.
Countrywide
On average, around 57% of homeowners nationally support missing middle housing units. While support is lower in areas like Detroit and Phoenix, national polling suggests that many homeowners around the U.S. support the idea of allowing homeowners to build or retrofit additional housing units on their property. In Tampa, 58% of homeowners support missing middle housing.
This also correlates to the support for new construction of missing middle housing. Neighborhood residents are supportive of the idea, only if the housing can maintain the same look and feel as the existing homes.
Feel of the Neighborhood
Research suggests that the construction of new missing middle housing is only supported by area residents if the new units fit the feel of the existing structures. For example, residents are not likely to support the construction of a large multi-family complex with 50 units in a neighborhood already populated by single-family homes.
Feel of the neighborhood is a difficult metric to define, but it serves as an important measure for homeowners and residents around the country. People remain adamant that missing middle housing should match the neighborhood around it, rather than changing the dynamics of the area and forcing change on current residents.
Demographics of Supporters
Around the country, support for missing middle housing tends to be stronger from certain demographics. Larger percentages of people under the age of 55 agree that homeowners should be allowed to add housing units to their property, with 68% of people aged 18-35 agreeing and 61% of people aged 35-54 agreeing. Only 50% of people over the age of 55 support the idea.
Missing Middle housing is growing in popularity around the U.S. As people look for new ways to solve housing shortages without disrupting neighborhood dynamics, these housing types give an alternative to large apartment complexes.
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