Missing Middle Housing Study Launches in Arlington County, Virginia

Missing Middle Housing, the kinds of additional density that can be added with limited construction on a footprint the size of traditional single-family homes, is gaining momentum in the D.C. region.

1 minute read

August 23, 2020, 7:00 AM PDT

By James Brasuell @CasualBrasuell


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"Arlington County [Virginia] plans to launch a new Missing Middle Housing Study to reexamine its missing middle housing stock," reports Biran Goggin.

"According to the county website, the study hopes to provide people with a general understanding of the county’s housing challenges, what options the County Board has, and what policy changes can create new housing types," adds Goggin.

"The county’s Missing Middle Housing Study is part of two broader initiatives: Housing Arlington and Realizing Arlington’s Commitment to Equity, which seek to address the county’s housing affordability and racial equity challenges."

Other governments in the immediate area around Arlington County have completed similar studies in recent years, according to Goggin. "For example Montgomery County, MD completed a similar study in 2018 while DC’s Office of Planning published a report focused on single-family zoning earlier this year."

After the study, the county could proceed with amendments to the county’s Comprehensive Plan and Zoning Ordinance that would allow for new zoning to allow for the construction of Missing Middle Housing in more of the county.

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