The Types

The Missing Middle Housing types provide diverse housing options, such as duplexes, fourplexes, cottage courts, and multiplexes. These house-scale buildings fit seamlessly into existing residential neighborhoods and support walkability, locally-serving retail, and public transportation options. They provide solutions along a spectrum of affordability to address the mismatch between the available U.S. housing stock and shifting demographics combined with the growing demand for walkability.

The majority of Missing Middle Housing types have 4-8 units in a building, or 4-8 units on a lot in the case of a cottage court. Most Missing Middle building types are 2 to 2.5 stories in height, with the exception of the cottage court at 1.5 stories. They have a maximum of one off-street parking space per unit.

Upper Missing Middle Housing types typically have 12 units per building, with a maximum of 19 units. These are typically deeper buildings, and 3-4 stories in height. These buildings should be treated as a separate category of Missing Middle, and used very carefully in low-to-moderate intensity neighborhoods or more liberally in higher intensity neighborhoods. Carriage houses (also known as Accessory Dwelling Units or ADUs) are not a Missing Middle housing type but can be a useful tool in increasing housing access and affordability without changing the community’s physical character.