top of page

Want the full story?

Subscribe to the Newsletter and learn how planners use different words to disguise density, fees, and government growth.

What is Middle Housing?

STATE and CITY PLANNERS define MIDDLE HOUSING as housing types that fall between single-family homes and large apartment complexes. Think of them as “missing options” in many neighborhoods—homes that are modest in scale but provide more choices for how people live.

 

Examples of middle housing include:

DUPLEXES, TRIPLEXES, FOURPLEXES, FIVEPLEXES, and SIXPLEXES

TOWNHOMES

COTTAGES, ADU'S, etc.

These options are often described as “gentle density”—slightly more compact than a detached home but far smaller than mid-rise or high-rise apartments.

 

Cities across Washington, including Bellingham and Bellevue, have begun rewriting zoning rules to allow more of these housing types in traditionally single-family neighborhoods. The promise is affordability, flexibility, and more walkable communities. But the reality MIDDLE HOUSING is built on DECEPTION, OBFUSCATION, and MISDIRECTION.

 

States and city planners have a THREE PHASE plan to destroy the single family neighborhoods:

 

FIRST PHASE is creating the term MIDDLE HOUSING and is presented as a "NEW FORM" of housing, which is just MULTI-FAMILY RENTALS minus APARTMENTS. It is not affordable, nor POSSIBLE to own just one unit in any building, especially for less than the cost of a detached single family home now. 

SECOND PHASE is removing the protections of the single family zoning to allow ANYTHING, ANYWHERE, with NO DENSITY restrictions!

THIRD PHASE is to convince the public that having a car is a BAD THING. They are removing all PARKING MINIMUMS for new construction with BLATENT DISREGARD to the dangers of all the parking going into the streets. Starting with the term MIDDLE HOUSING which . often comes with debates about parking, fees, neighborhood character, and whether new homes are truly affordable.

 

The RESULT is that there is NOTHING AFFORDABLE with MIDDLE HOUSING, except the MASSIVE FEES that the cities and states will collect for putting 12 plexes into a single lot which used to allow just one home.

In depth

Illustration of a small house buried under tall stacks of receipts labeled “Permit Fees,” with City Hall glowing in the background.

PERMIT FEES

Impact & Connection Fees: The Hidden Housing Tax

Illustration image of the different styles of property inside Middle Housing

STYLES

What's Included in Middle Housing?

A “For Sale” sign in front of currently being contructed new homes. The price tag is labeled "COSTS ADDED NO VALUE" has parts that make it up, the are labeled “Impact Fees,” "Building Fees" “Density,” "LAND USE". s Clean, flat-vector design with bold colors to emphasize rising prices.

AFFORDABILITY

Higher Density, Higher Costs, Higher Crime?

Street with overflow parking in places it wasn't meant. In the middle of the street is a single red ball signifying the danger from children running to play or get their balls.

PARKING

Unsafe, Unproven, Unrealistic

Cover of a fake magazine called "Government Gaslight Monthly" with cover photo of wolves dressed up like boy scouts. Headline reads "According to the Association of Wolves, sheep do not need to be protected."

GASLIGHTING

Changing Words to Hide Reality

Illustration of a cigarette pack labeled “Candy Sticks,” with the label peeling off to reveal “Cigarettes” underneath

REBRANDING

Selling Density Under a New Name

Illustration of a quiet neighborhood disrupted by a large fourplex, with a zoning map overlay changing from calm blue to aggressive red.

REZONING

From Stability to Density Without Limits

Want the full story?

Subscribe to the Real Issues Newsletter and learn how planners use words to disguise density, fees, and government growth.

bottom of page