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Middle Housing

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

What are types of Middle Housing? 

Middle Housing includes two or more homes designed to fit the scale and character of single-family neighborhoods, such as duplexes, triplexes, fourplexes, townhouses, and cottage housing. It does not include single-family homes. Middle Housing can be rented or owned.

Can I build modest single-family residences as Middle Housing? 

Cottage homes are the only detached residences that qualify as Middle Housing. In the MHO-2 and MHO-3 overlays, they are limited to 1,500 square feet, excluding garages. In the MHO-1 overlay of the R-1 Zoning District, additional density is allowed for cottage homes, subject to a 900-square-foot footprint and 1,000-square-foot total floor area limit.

Does the Mandatory Affordable Housing Program apply to Middle Housing? 

Middle Housing development is subject to the Mandatory Affordable Housing Program. However, any residence that is not bigger than 1,750 square feet is exempt from Affordable Housing calculations.

Can Middle Housing be subdivided? 

If a Middle Housing project includes vertically stack residences, it could be subdivided as air space condominiums.  If a Middle Housing project is for attached/side-by-side residences, it could be subdivided as Unit Lot Subdivision, for separately owned unit lots with common areas. 

Middle Housing are homes that are between the size of large single-family homes and high-density apartments. Buildings such as duplexes and townhouses contribute to the diversity of housing options, both in form and affordability. Construction of Middle Housing increases the housing stock while catering to a variety of different demographic groups, including millennials and multigenerational households.

Middle Housing may be built in the Middle Housing Overlays (MHO). These overlays apply to the R-1 through R-8 Zoning Districts. Middle Housing is not mandatory, but is encouraged with increased density allowances and tiered Floor Area Ratios (FAR), which is regulated by SMC 21.04.030.Y.

 

Zoning District Overlay
 R-1  MHO-1
 R-4  MHO-2
 R-6  MHO-3
 R-8  MHO-3