‘Micro-Apartment’ Trend Underscores Housing Crisis

The concept of rooming houses, otherwise known as single room occupancy units (SROs), is making a return under the guise of ‘micro-apartments,’ report Halie Golden and Claire Rush for the Associated Press. Nearly one quarter of renters nationwide are ‘extremely low-income,’ according to a report from the National Low Income Housing Coalition.

As more renters look to ultra-small units to cut costs, states like Oregon and Washington are enacting laws to make micro-apartments easier to build. The Washington bill requires cities to allow micro-apartments in multifamily housing with six or more units.

Popular in the early 20th century, SROs fell out of favor in recent decades when poor maintenance and associations with poverty led to more restrictive zoning laws that kept them out of many neighborhoods.

Housing advocates warn that, while micro-apartments offer one option for single residents and small families, affordable housing policy must also include larger units to accommodate larger families.