Public Health News & Alerts

What is middle housing?

The term middle housing refers to a diverse range of housing choices that includes duplexes, triplexes, townhomes, and cottage courts. These housing types are called “middle” because they represent a range of size and design options between detached single-family homes and larger apartment buildings and can house more families per unit of land than detached single-family homes. Additionally, middle housing uses design elements that more easily blend into neighborhoods where single-family homes make up most of the housing types.

Why is middle housing important?

Housing prices have surpassed affordability for nearly 2 in 5 (40.5%) renters who call Louisville home. This number increases to 69.5% of renter households making less than $50,000 a year. When housing is too expensive, the financial burden reduces community members’ access to necessities including food, utilities, and medical care or they are forced to make difficult choices such as delaying filling prescriptions for medications or delaying doctors’ visits to help manage chronic illnesses.

Across Jefferson County, single householders, particularly those headed by women with children, are more likely to rent than own their home and are especially susceptible to “housing cost burden” where a person spends more than 30% of their income on housing. A high housing cost burden means that residents spend less on basic needs like healthy food and health care.

• More than half (52%) of Louisville’s children who are living with single mothers in rental housing do not have enough money for all basic needs.
• Nationally, nearly 11% of children ages 5 and under living in rental housing are at risk of eviction. This number increases to 27% for Black children under 5 in rental housing.

How can middle housing benefit the community?

• Expanding middle housing can help increase the diversity of housing size, type, and price across communities and reduce the impacts of high housing costs.
• Middle housing supports walkable, pedestrian friendly neighborhoods that helps meet the demand community members have for walkable and greenspace-rich neighborhoods.
• Middle housing supports public transit and multi-modal transportation networks to improve community members ability to access resources that improve health such as going to jobs and doctor’s appointments, shopping for healthy food, and participating in opportunities for social connection.
• Older adults benefit from middle housing as they transition from a larger home to one that is smaller and more manageable to maintain. Middle housing in a walkable community creates access to resources, food, and connection to community.
• Community members with physical disabilities also benefit from middle housing due to its characteristics of affordability, connection to community, and being located near resources and transportation.

To learn more about the links between housing and health as well as the health benefits of expanding middle housing, read our research report here.  Additional information can be found at the city’s Office of Planning and Design webpage. You are also invited to attend an open house to learn more, ask questions and provide feedback with Louisville Metro Government’s Planning and Design staff.