More housing choices. More places to call home.
Make room for duplexes, townhomes, cottage courts, and small apartment buildings in Texas neighborhoods.
Texans need homes that fit the financial needs, household sizes, and stages of life. But many neighborhoods offer a narrow range of choices: a detached single-family house or a home in a large apartment complex.
Missing middle housing fills the space between those options. Allowing more of these homes can help Texas communities grow, expand opportunities for renters and buyers, and make it easier for people to stay near the places and people they love.
What is missing middle housing?
Missing middle housing includes duplexes, triplexes, fourplexes, townhomes, cottage courts, and small apartment buildings. These homes can accommodate multiple households while fitting the scale of a residential neighborhood.
They are called “missing” because zoning and development rules have made them difficult—or impossible—to build in many places, even where similar homes have existed for generations.
“Middle” describes the size and form of the buildings. These homes can serve a range of incomes and household needs. Learn more in Texas Architect.
Why more housing choices matter
A young adult looking for a first apartment, a family needing another bedroom, and an older homeowner hoping to downsize may all want to live in the same neighborhood. They need different kinds of homes to make that possible.
Missing middle housing can:
- Create more attainable options. Smaller homes and shared land costs can offer alternatives to a large detached house.
- Help people stay connected. More housing choices can help residents remain near family, work, schools, and community.
- Support walkable neighborhoods. More homes near shops, services, and transit can put everyday needs within easier reach.
- Expand rental and ownership opportunities. A wider variety of homes gives households more ways to find a good fit.
Make “missing middle” practical to build
Allowing a duplex or cottage court in a zoning code is only the first step. Parking mandates, minimum lot sizes, setbacks, and complicated approvals can still make a small project unworkable.
Effective reform looks at how those rules work together. Austin’s Missing Middle and Mixed-Use Zoning Study takes this approach by examining gaps in the city’s zoning tools and opportunities to support a broader range of homes and neighborhood development. Read the City of Austin study overview.
What Texans for Housing supports
Texans for Housing supports removing unnecessary barriers to a broader range of homes in Texas neighborhoods. Practical reforms include:
- Allowing duplexes, triplexes, fourplexes, cottage courts, and other small residential buildings in more neighborhoods.
- Updating lot-size, setback, and parking requirements so these homes are feasible to build.
- Creating clear, predictable approval processes for projects that meet established standards.
- Supporting opportunities to add homes while retaining existing houses.
- Allowing more housing near jobs, transit, shops, and everyday services.
Will missing middle housing solve affordability on its own?
No single housing type can meet every need. Smaller homes and more housing choices can improve affordability, but a newly built duplex or townhome will not automatically be affordable to every household.
Missing middle reform should work alongside investments in income-restricted affordable housing, preservation, and support for residents facing displacement. Expanding housing choices is one part of meeting Texas’ housing needs. Explore the relationship between housing types and affordability.
More choices for every stage of life
Texas neighborhoods should offer room for people to start out, raise a family, downsize, and stay connected. Making missing middle housing easier to build gives more Texans the opportunity to find a home that fits.