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Commentary: Middle housing is part of a thorny debate about affordable housing in Arizona

The proposed Middle Housing Overlay District in Phoenix.
City of Phoenix
The proposed Middle Housing Overlay District in Phoenix.

In the Nov. 10 issue of In the Center Lane, I wrote about how short-term rentals and accessory dwelling units are reshaping what I call the “new housing economy.”

These concepts are part of a larger and thornier debate about land use, affordable housing, and neighborhood identity.

Another piece of this property politics puzzle involves middle housing (sometimes referred to as missing middle housing to highlight the gap between single-family homes and large apartment buildings).

Given recent developments in Phoenix, I thought it would be of value to examine the concept and its practical implications.

Read the entire commentary on Substack In The Center Lane With Herb Paine →

The plan aligns with a new state law to allow multifamily homes in areas within a mile of a city’s downtown.
More commentaries from Herb Paine

Commentator Herb Paine is president of Paine Consulting Services in Phoenix.