Today, many Oregonians face
high housing costs because the supply of diverse housing is so low. For a
variety of reasons, the construction of more traditional housing types like
single-family homes and apartment complexes has remained the primary form for
any new housing built in the last several decades. However, given the growing
housing crisis, Oregon became the first state in the nation to re-legalize
another form of housing, often called “Missing Middle Housing.”
These building types, such as duplexes, triplexes, fourplexes,
cottage clusters, and courtyard buildings, provide diverse housing options while
supporting active public spaces and locally serving retail. By using urban
lands more efficiently, these house-scale buildings fit seamlessly into
existing residential neighborhoods and help reduce the environmental impact of
housing by supporting walkability and public transportation options. These products
tend to produce slightly smaller home sizes, which can provide more affordable
and accessible housing choices for people earning lower and moderate incomes.
“The creation of new, high-quality middle housing types is essential to addressing our region’s severe housing crisis and undersupply problems,” said Preston Korst, Director of Public Policy and Government Affairs at the Home Building Association of Greater Portland. “Middle housing has the potential to create a new era of generational wealth for communities that have been traditionally left out of the benefits of homeownership.”
Combined, these newly re-allowed housing types will impact the market by addressing the mismatch between the available U.S. housing stock and shrinking household sizes, all while encouraging more entry-level and age-in-place homeownership opportunities.