Missing middle housing is a key part of meeting San Jose’s housing needs. The city is currently falling far short of the level of housing production needed. One reason for this is that most of the city remains largely off limits to new housing development, and almost no space is dedicated to the lowest-cost housing type: low-rise multifamily housing. Legalizing missing middle housing across San Jose neighborhoods can help San Jose meet its housing goals and produce more housing affordable to working & middle class families.

Missing middle housing will make San Jose’s housing policy more equitable & inclusive. Many of San Jose’s best-resourced neighborhoods, with great schools & job access, are currently off limits to all those who cannot afford a million dollar-plus mansion. Restrictive housing policies were often established with exclusionary intent, and their presence today helps maintain historic patterns of exclusion. Legalizing missing middle housing in San Jose’s highest opportunity neighborhoods will help give more people from more walks of life access to the great resources available there.

The city of San Jose is currently updating the Housing Element of its general plan, and now is an important time to prioritize and support missing middle housing. We support plans in the Housing Element to strengthen implementation of SB 9 & advance further missing middle housing opportunities. These programs will help San Jose better meet its housing needs while advancing equitable access to more neighborhood resources. We encourage San Jose to implement these crucial policies as quickly as possible, and to prioritize feasibility, streamlined approval processes, and including incentives for more deeply affordable housing. We also advocate for San Jose to establish design standards that facilitate prototypes for market-feasible missing middle housing, and identify and implement pre-approved designs eligible for the same kind of streamlined approval as ADUs as soon as possible.