Homes That Fit Into Neighborhoods
Missing Middle Housing refers to house-scale buildings with multiple homes—small, people-scaled residential buildings that contain more than one unit but are similar in size and appearance to single-family houses.
These homes bridge the gap between detached single-family houses and large apartment buildings.
Missing Middle Housing is designed to fit into existing neighborhoods.
These housing types work especially well in walkable, amenity-rich neighborhoods near downtowns, transit, shops, and jobs.
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Duplexes
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Triplexes
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Fourplexes
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Cottage Courts
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Multiplexes (small apartment buildings)
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Townhomes
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Live/Work Units
Barriers That Prevent Missing Middle Housing
Single-family zoning restrictions — Large portions of residential land are zoned exclusively for single-family or duplex homes.
Lack of appropriate zoning districts — Many zoning codes skip small-scale multi-unit housing types.
Dimensional standards — Minimum lot sizes and parking requirements often make projects infeasible.
Conventional zoning metrics — Abstract density rules prevent housing that matches neighborhood scale.