REALTORS® Advocate for a Positive Regulatory Environment for Middle Housing

Seattle King County REALTORS® (SKCR) continues to work throughout the region to encourage cities to adopt flexible and bold comprehensive plan policies and related development regulations to encourage ADUs and middle housing in their cities.

REALTORS® are encouraging policymakers to view increased housing supply through zoned density as the first and best strategy to make housing affordable, underscoring that until we better balance supply and demand, affordability will remain unachievable.

ADUs and middle housing types like duplexes and triplexes can add greatly needed housing supply while maintaining the look and feel of the neighborhood.

Recognizing that middle housing must deliver solutions for young families seeking to begin building home equity, REALTORS® are encouraging larger, family-sized units.

For middle housing to be successful, it will need to be buildable. The regulatory environment will need to be understandable, predictable, and timely so that average people can act on the opportunity.

While the overall trend in middle housing implementation is positive, REALTORS® are collaborating with the Master Builders Association and others in the development community to advocate for a positive regulatory environment.

Some of the specific middle housing issues we are advancing include:

Flexible Floor Area Ratios (FAR)

REALTORS® want municipalities to preserve the option for families to build large houses on large lots recognizing many households are multigenerational. For instance, we support maintaining a .5 FAR on lots of 10,000 sq. ft. for projects that include an ADU as part of the permit.

Fees for Additional Density

REALTORS® encourage a voluntary approach to fees for added density and a fee schedule that enables projects to pencil and homes to get built.

Unit Size

REALTORS® report strong demand for cottage and ADU options that can accommodate a small family. Accordingly, cottages should have a maximum square footage of 1,750 sq. ft., and ADUs a maximum square footage of 1,500 sq. ft., to allow a third bedroom.

Unit Lot Subdivision

REALTORS® applaud unit lot subdivision as a proven pathway for opportunity for fee-simple ownership of small lots and middle housing. This can avoid the costly and cumbersome process of making a condominium declaration and forming a micro-homeowners association.