“Missing Middle Housing” is a euphemism for densification and the elimination of single family neighborhoods. It is a concept being pushed by Sacramento planners and city council under the false pretense that it will create more affordable housing and right the wrongs of past housing discrimination.
“Missing Middle Housing” (aka “a greater array of housing types such as duplexes, triplexes, and fourplexes”) means adding additional units to existing single family lots, eliminating the single family neighborhoods that people of all economic and racial groups want to live in.
Unfortunately the California Legislature passed SB 9 last year, allowing for single family lots to be subdivided and one or more units to be built on each lot. Yet the City of Sacramento is pushing for even higher densities, up to six units or more on what is now one single family lot.
Adding more so-called “Missing Middle Housing” to existing single family neighborhoods means:
1) Fewer trees and urban green space as these additional units will increase lot coverage, reducing not only space for trees and plants BUT permeable surfaces that allow water to get to existing trees and plants and our groundwater aquifer.
2) More traffic, more parking, more garbage cans, more density in neighborhoods many of which were not designed for higher densities.
3) Reduction in the number of single family housing units available for and homeownership as existing units are converted to multifamily units.
While the City is pushing density, including accessory dwelling units (ADU) – it is allowing single family houses and ADUs to be used as short term vacation rentals. This means that single family houses are taken off the rental and homeowner markets and rented out as hotel rooms. Sacramento needs affordable housing – not more hotel rooms.
Save Sacramento Neighborhoods 