Middle Housing

What is Middle Housing 

Snoqualmie received a grant from the state to study middle housing, engage the community, look at ways to address housing equity issues through middle housing, and complete a land capacity analysis. Middle housing is defined as duplexes, triplexes, fourplexes, fiveplexes, sixplexes, townhouses, courtyard apartments, cottage housing, and stacked flats. From both a size and design perspective, these housing types provide higher densities and intensity of use than single-family detached houses but still can blend in with single-family neighborhoods. 

Did you know Snoqualmie already has a lot of middle housing?

You might hear this type of housing referred to as “missing middle” because many communities lack this type of housing. However, Snoqualmie has a significant amount of existing middle housing, including in Snoqualmie Ridge, that has been designed to fit in with the character of the community. 

Example of Middle Housing in Snoqualmie

What is this project going to study? 

The purpose of the Middle Housing Project is to engage the community on housing-related issues, create draft policy and implementation options for increasing middle housing, perform a racial equity and anti-displacement analysis, and prepare for the 2024 Comprehensive Plan update. The city and consultant will do this by conducting public outreach, reviewing current housing policies and development regulations, conducting a land capacity analysis, and evaluating where the city inadvertently incentivizes and disincentivizes middle housing. They will also focus on developing draft policies to address displacement, which can occur when redevelopment takes place, and completing a racial equity analysis on current policies and code. 

This project will not result in any changes to City of Snoqualmie code or policy, but the information gathered could help inform decisions in the future. Your voice is important!

Have you or someone you now been impacted by the high cost of housing?

Has the rising cost of housing made it difficult for you or people you know to move into housing that meets your needs? Do you wonder whether young families or retirees on a fixed income can find good places to live in Snoqualmie? Middle housing is one approach that can help address some of the housing issues Snoqualmie and other communities around the region are confronting. These housing types are affordable to a wider range of income levels and can be smaller in size, which is attractive to young couples, single-parents, and other non-nuclear families. Additionally, an emphasis on design allows middle housing to fit seamlessly in existing neighborhoods. These housing types can support changing demographic needs, create more housing options for middle-income workers, and provide more inclusive neighborhoods. 

You can learn more about Middle Housing, how to participate in the project, and how to stay updated with the latest news by scanning the QR code below. This will take you to the project webpage.