Middle Housing Code Amendments

The State of Washington has the authority to levy requirements on individual cities for housing through legislation and regulations aimed at addressing statewide issues such as housing affordability and availability. This authority is primarily derived from the Growth Management Act (GMA), which requires local governments to plan for and accommodate housing affordable to all income levels.

Several significant housing and land use bills have been passed by the Washington State Legislature to expand the state's housing supply and address the ongoing affordable housing crisis. For example, the "missing middle" housing bill (E2SHB 1110) and the accessory dwelling units bill (EHB 1337) require many local governments to revise their regulations to allow for a greater number and increased types of housing in areas traditionally dedicated to single-family detached housing.

While cities have the ability to govern and determine their own community growth plans, they must comply with state requirements to ensure that their plans align with broader state goals. This collaborative approach aims to balance local autonomy with the need to address statewide challenges, such as housing affordability and availability.

Middle housing refers to housing types that fall in between apartments and single-family houses – townhouses, duplexes, triplexes, accessory dwelling units, and cottages. They look and feel like single-family houses but are more affordable because they are typically more compact. In general, they are large enough to accommodate a family and provide entry-level homeownership opportunities. In Kirkland, middle housing costs may be a third or quarter of standard newly-built single-family houses, partly due to the smaller average size of these middle housing units. The term "middle housing" is often referred to as "missing" due to the fact that these types of buildings have been largely illegal or challenging to construct since the mid-1940s. This is mainly because in the post-WWII era, many cities made single-family houses easy to build, but made the development of middle housing all but impossible.  

Here are some common middle housing types:

• Duplexes and Triplexes: Multi-unit homes that look like single-family houses.
• Townhomes: Connected homes that offer a similar living experience to single-family residences.
• Cottages and Courtyard Apartments: Small homes grouped around shared green spaces.
• Stacked Flats and Sixplexes: Multi-story units that retain the scale and feel of traditional houses.

You can explore examples of middle housing in the Sightline Institute’s missing middle homes photo library: www.flickr.com/people/sightline_middle_housing/.

Yes. Kirkland already allows for duplexes, triplexes and cottages throughout the city. Kirkland currently allows twice the allowed density than a typical single-family lot to accommodate these housing types, while limiting the total size of these units on a single lot to the same allowed size for single-family development. The City is now required to update its code to allow for more middle housing types and the State required densities. More information on the State requirements can be found in answers to the HB 1110 questions.

Washington State House Bill 1110, often referred to as the "middle housing" bill requires cities to allow more housing types in areas traditionally zoned for single-family homes. Under this law, cities across the state, including Kirkland, must update their codes to permit middle housing types in all residential areas. Specifically, Kirkland must add up to six of the nine middle housing types (duplexes, triplexes, fourplexes, fiveplexes, sixplexes, townhouses, stacked flats, courtyard apartments, and cottage housing) and ensure a minimum density of 4 to 6 dwelling units per lot in all predominantly residential zones. This change is designed to accommodate the growing housing needs and offer a wider variety of housing options.

The bill recognizes the continued need for housing development at all income levels, including middle housing, to allow Washingtonians to live near where they work. It emphasizes lifting bans on developing modestly scaled and more affordable housing in cities near job centers, transit, and amenity-rich neighborhoods. Homes developed at higher densities and gentle density housing types are more affordable by design, both in their construction and in reduced household energy and transportation costs.

Yes, HB 1110 says that cities must allow affordable housing in areas that used to be dedicated for just for single-family homes. The bill lets cities allow up to six homes on each lot if two of them are affordable. If the property is within a half-mile of a major transit stop, the last two homes do not need to be affordable.  In Kirkland, the only major transit stop right now is the Sound Transit Stride Station being built on I-405 and NE 85^th Street. Future major transit stops will also be along the K-line.

Inclusionary zoning makes sure that new buildings include some affordable housing. This helps people with low and moderate incomes find homes in our neighborhoods. By requiring affordable housing with different housing types like duplexes, triplexes, and townhomes, inclusionary zoning provides options that fit various household needs. This is important for workers like teachers, firefighters, and police officers, as well as young families and older adults who need smaller homes.

If a housing development doesn’t include affordable units, developers must pay a fee to the City that is used to develop or preserve affordable housing elsewhere. As the city updates its housing rules to meet State requirements, it needs to ensure these changes don’t stop new housing from being built. That’s why the city is reviewing current affordable housing rules with the new State density allowances in mind.

We understand that many new middle housing units in Kirkland are still unaffordable to many households. Although middle housing has potential benefits for increasing housing availability and affordability, several factors contribute to its higher cost:

1. High Cost of Land, Labor, and Materials: These expenses are common across all types of construction and significantly impact the overall cost of middle housing units.
2. Design Costs: Middle housing often requires more complex and unique designs; some are related to the type of housing and others are associated with specific design requirements, both of which can drive up costs.
3. Zoning Laws and Building Codes: Specific regulations and building codes for middle housing can make the construction process more expensive.
4. Permit Processes: Obtaining the necessary permits for middle housing can be more time-consuming and costly compared to single-family homes.
5. Financing Challenges: Securing financing for middle housing can be more difficult and expensive than for single-family homes.

Despite these higher costs, middle housing addresses several important market factors:

• Less Expensive than Standard Single-Family Housing: Middle housing is generally more affordable than traditional single-family homes, offering a more budget-friendly option.
• Aging Over Time: As middle housing units age, they tend to become more affordable, providing long-term housing options for a wider range of income levels.
• Freeing Up Smaller Units: Middle housing attracts homeowners and occupants who may move out of smaller, more affordable units, allowing lower-income households to move into those vacated units.

By addressing these market factors, middle housing helps create more diverse and affordable housing options in our neighborhoods.

Affordable housing helps people like teachers, nurses, retail workers, firefighters, and police officers find places to live in our community. If there is not enough affordable housing, businesses and organizations have trouble recruiting and retaining employees, and workers commute from far away, creating traffic.

With the new state law, people living in neighborhoods with mostly single-family homes should expect to see more middle housing like duplexes, triplexes, townhomes, courtyard apartments, and cottages. Since 2020, Kirkland has allowed many of these types of homes to be built alongside single-family houses. Since then, we’ve seen more of these middle housing options popping up in our neighborhoods. Even though there are more homes on each lot, they still have to follow the same size and design rules as single-family houses. Overall, middle housing has a modest impact on the look and feel of our neighborhoods, and it's designed to fit in well with the existing homes.

No, changes to zoning do not require residents to add middle housing to their property. The City is not removing single-family zoning from neighborhoods and property owners can still build new single-family homes if they choose to; the City is only adding more middle housing types as an allowed use within low-density (traditionally single-family) residential zones.

In Kirkland, you can have up to two ADUs per property. They can be attached to your house or they can be in separate structures. Kirkland even has a special program where you can buy pre-approved designs for detached ADUs at a lower design cost and get faster permits.

The City will update its ADU rules to match the new State requirements which will add more flexibility towards design, size, location, and parking. For more details about the State requirements and how they compare to the city rules see the State Requirements & City Development Standards Gap Analysis.

This should make it easier for more people to add ADUs to their property, giving everyone more flexibility and provide more affordable housing options in our neighborhoods.

The City is required to adopt the new State housing requirements by June 30, 2025. You may follow the City’s amendment process by checking this webpage. You may also sign up for the City’s general housing email list which will inform you when updates are made, materials are made available, and upcoming public meetings are scheduled.

Yes, you can rent or buy middle housing. Recently, most middle housing is built to be owned. Kirkland doesn’t control if a building is rented or owned. That decision is up to the property owner.

In Kirkland, middle housing must follow the same important rules as other types of buildings to protect nature and keep people safe. This means taking care of streams, wetlands, and special habitats, as well as making sure new buildings aren't put in places that could have landslides, floods, or other dangers. Middle housing also needs to follow the city's tree management and landscaping rules. By following these regulations, new developments can help keep the community healthy and valuable as it grows.

March 27, 2025, Planning Commission meeting materials, presentation(PDF, 1MB).

February 27, 2025, Planning Commission meeting materials, presentation(PDF, 770KB).

November 14, 2024, Planning Commission meeting materials, presentation(PDF, 2MB).

March 26, 2025(PDF, 614KB), Transportation Commission meeting materials, presentation(PDF, 614KB). 

January 22, 2025(PDF, 375KB), Transportation Commission meeting materials, presentation(PDF, 496KB).

March 18, 2025, City Council meeting material, presentation(PDF, 834KB).

March 4, 2025, City Council meeting materials, presentation(PDF, 653KB).

January 7, 2025(PDF, 313KB), City Council meeting materials, presentation(PDF, 684KB).

March 13, 2025, MBAKS King County Builders Council presentation(PDF, 797KB). 

March 12, 2025, Kirkland Alliance of Neighborhoods presentation(PDF, 780KB).

March 10, 2025, Juanita Neighborhood Association presentation(PDF, 780KB).