Missing Middle

In December 2019, Arlington County announced its intent to explore new land-use tools that would include a possible major change to single-family neighborhoods, called Missing Middle housing.  The approach was first developed by Opticos Design in 2010, as one potential way to provide additional housing in areas experiencing shortages.  Missing Middle refers to a type of housing that fits "between" single family homes and mid- to high-rise multi-family dwellings.  It is designed to be moderately-priced, marketable, and in or near transit and shopping areas.  Arlington adopted one type of "Missing Middle" policy with its approval of accessory dwelling units in 2019; changing zoning from single-to multi-family housing in many neighborhoods, however, would represent a significant change to our community.  ASF is opposed to new density without proper planning tools, noted on our platform page.

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In January 2020, Housing Arlington (HA) staff began briefing county advisory commissions on the Missing Middle concept.  HA staff have posted details, including links to study documents and other reference material, at its Housing Arlington website. The county began community briefings Feb-March, with an intent to kick off an 18-month policy review in April 2020.  ASF asked the county in March and July to improve the community engagement process in light of Covid-19 constraints; the board told us engagement has been sufficient and says outcomes have yet to be determined.  Yet the board still appears poised, through next steps on a scoping process in late September, to green-light policy options that will expedite removal of mature tree canopy, pack in more concrete and cars on residential streets, and add to runoff so Arlington can build a possibly very small number of pricey 3-bedroom duplexes with narrow landing strips of yards. 

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The county has told ASF that its only objective for Missing Middle is to provide new "types" of housing -- possibly to include duplexes, triplexes, or quadplexes -- in single-family zoned areas, and that it has "no affordability targets."  Yet public outreach, board member comments, Housing Arlington's website and research documents (links below)  -- and partner events sponsored by "affordable housing" organizations -- are raising false hopes by strongly implying MM will deliver both affordability and diversity.  ASF believes that while a half-duplex in some areas of the county could be less expensive than a new single-family home, the yield from existing residential lots will increase as their development potential rises, driving land/housing prices and tax bills up for ALL owners/residents.  Added density delivers the most value to the developer/current owner.  It makes things more difficult for everyone else.  Current property owners will see their assets appreciate, but those on fixed incomes might have to sell as tax bills rise steeply.  Renters will suffer.  Adding more high-end housing (chased by higher-earning residents) will widen the income inequality gap, leading to gentrification.  Affordable housing funds will go less far as rents and overall prices escalate, adding to the vicious circle of displacement.  And while the county dismisses the "affordability" argument with us, until it admits this more broadly, we will continue to highlight a July 2020 study by Arlington economist Dr. Jon Huntley and researcher Kody Carmody, that show very limited gains towards improving affordable housing stock with these "new types."  As the Huntley/Karmody study illustrates, and as ASF has argued in its August 2020 letter for civic associations (link below), increasing supply of housing in the county has been shown to simply keep pushing prices higher.

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Despite the enormous investment and interesting results delivered in the new Missing Middle bulletins, we question the utility of a major revision of our zoning code for a benefit the county can only vaguely define as offering "new housing types."  As an end unto itself?  Nowhere have our leaders or the new bulletins revealed -- including in the most recent community update held September 2 (see link below) -- how many potential units would be built, in which R-zoned areas, how much would they go for in today's market, and which types of diversity would they deliver?  Nonetheless, the process is advancing.

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Resources:

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Arlington County Documents

• Housing Arlington/Alliance for Housing Solutions Staff Briefing on Missing Middle, Sep 2, 2020

• Arl Co Board Reply to ASF Letter of July 28, 2020 re Missing Middle and Community Engagement

• Arl Co Missing Middle Bulletin #5 - Missing Middle Housing Study in Context

• Arl Co Missing Middle Bulletin #4 - Arlington's Land Use Policy and Zoning

• Arl Co Missing Middle Bulletin #3 - Existing HousingChoices

• Arl Co Missing Middle Bulletin #2 - Housing Market Pressures

• Arl Co Missing Middle Bulletin #1 - Stakeholder Analysis, June 2020

• Arl Co Missing Middle Outline - December 17, 2019

• Arl Co Missing Middle Draft Scope of Work - January 15, 2020

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ASF Documents

• Request on the Launch of Missing Middle Housing Initiative, Arlington County Board Meeting, Sep 12, 2020

• ASF Updated Article for Civic Association Newsletters - Aug 2020

• ASF Letter to County Board Seeking Working Group on Missing Middle, July 28, 2020

• ASF Summary of Missing Middle Affordability Analysis - July 2020

• ASF Article for Civic Association Newsletters - April 2020

• ASF Presentation - Missing Middle Housing - 24 Feb 2020

• ASF Letter to County Board Requesting Halt to Missing Middle Process - 3 April 2020

• Arlington Areas with Multi-Family Housing: Click to view map of existing multi-family dwellings

• ASF Questions on Arlington’s “Missing Middle” Proposal - February 2020

 

Third-Party Documents

• Opticos Design  - Definitions and Illustrations of Missing Middle Housing

• Missing Middle Duplex Affordability in Arlington - July 2020 Analysis by Dr. Jon Huntley and Kody Carmody

• Blanket Upzoning A Blunt Instrument Won't Solve the Affordable Housing Crisis, The Planning Report, Dr. Michael Storper, UCLA, March 15, 2019

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