Making Strides for Middle Housing

Kirkland, Redmond, Sammamish, and Kenmore are leading the way in Washington State in developing "middle housing” policies that prioritize affordability. Each city has adopted regulations that incorporate local affordable housing requirements and demonstrate a commitment to inclusive communities. Middle housing includes “neighborhood scale” housing types, including duplexes, triplexes, fourplexes, townhomes, stacked flats, cottage housing, and more. Middle housing offers more choices for households with moderate incomes.

Examples of Middle Housing

State Requirements

Redmond, Sammamish, and Kenmore are following the “Tier 2” state requirements that apply to cities with 25,000-75,000 people. For Tier 2 cities, at least two housing units are required per lot. This increases to at least four units per lot when the property is within one-quarter mile walking distance of a major transit stop or when at least one unit is affordable.

Kirkland is considered a “Tier 1” city since its population is over 75,000. As such, Washington State requires Kirkland to allow at least four units per lot. This increases to at least six units per lot when within one-quarter mile walking distance of a major transit stop or when at least two units are affordable housing.

Incorporating Affordability

In 2024, ARCH published a study that found market rate middle housing expected to be built in East King County would be priced far out of reach for lower and middle income families, and that State provisions for affordability would likely be infeasible for most developers to pursue.

Redmond, Sammamish, Kenmore, and Kirkland could have simply adopted the standard state requirements – but instead they took advantage of flexibility in state legislation to study and adopt local policies that would result in greater impact on affordability while promoting middle housing production. Studies have found that increasing density generally increases the value of developing property, and inclusionary zoning policies ensure that some of that value can be used for affordable housing. A summary of each city’s general affordability policy is below, with specific exemptions and fee options varying by city.

Redmond adjusted its inclusionary set-aside from 10% to 12.5% of new housing units. These affordable units serve people who earn 80% of the Area Median Income (AMI). Redmond now allows seven or eight units per lot in their Neighborhood Residential zone if one unit is affordable. And the “floor area ratio” (a measure of density) increases with the number of units per lot to encourage more, smaller homes that are typically more affordable than larger homes.

Kenmore’s new inclusionary zoning policy requires that 10% of new homes be set aside for affordable units. Affordable home ownership units are for households earning 80% AMI, and rental units are for households earning 50% AMI.

Sammamish’s new inclusionary zoning policy requires 10% of new homes to be affordable for households earning 80% AMI. Through overlay zones, Sammamish will now allow three units on all lots—or four when one is affordable—counting accessory dwelling units (ADUs) toward the total.

Kirkland extended its inclusionary zoning (which already covered most medium- and high-density zones) to low-density residential districts, requiring 10% of units serve households earning 80% AMI.

By embracing middle housing and pairing it with local inclusionary housing policies, these four cities are creating more opportunities for neighbors at a variety of income levels. Their leadership helps ensure that our opportunity-rich region is more accessible to people of all incomes.