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  • Missing Middle Housing

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    Missing middle housing is a term that has gained significant attention in recent years, particularly in urban planning and housing development circles. It refers to a range of multi-unit housing types that fall between single-family homes and large-scale multi-family apartment buildings. These housing types include duplexes, triplexes, fourplexes, townhouses, courtyard apartments, small home communities, and other compact and diverse forms of housing.

    The term "missing middle" is derived from the observation that many cities and suburbs lack this type of housing, resulting in a gap in the housing market between detached single-family homes and larger apartment buildings. The absence of these housing types has created significant challenges for many urban and suburban communities, including housing affordability, neighborhood diversity, and environmental sustainability.

    In contrast to large apartment buildings, missing middle housing is typically characterized by smaller and more flexible units that are designed to be more affordable and accessible to a broader range of residents. These housing types are often more compatible with existing neighborhoods and can be designed to fit within a variety of contexts, from urban infill sites to suburban lots. They can also be designed to accommodate a range of household sizes and needs, from non-traditional families, to retirees, to those with mobility limitations, to students and young professionals.

    One of the primary benefits of missing middle housing is its potential to increase housing affordability in cities and suburbs. By providing a greater diversity of housing options, missing middle housing can help to meet the needs of a wider range of residents, including those with lower incomes. In many cases, missing middle housing can be more affordable than larger apartment buildings or detached single-family homes, providing a crucial middle ground for households that may not be able to afford larger homes but also do not want to live in dense apartment buildings. Even in cases where missing middle housing falls in the market rate category of affordability, increasing the housing supply and infill utilization brings openings and opportunities for moderate- and low-income households by freeing up more affordable spaces.

    In addition to its affordability benefits, missing middle housing can also promote environmental sustainability and help to reduce sprawl. By providing more compact and diverse housing options, missing middle housing can help to reduce the need for vehicles and promote more walkable and transit-oriented communities. It can also help to reduce the overall carbon footprint of a community by providing more efficient and sustainable housing options.

    Some of the challenges surrounding implementing missing middle housing include land use, zoning regulations, and other development challenges, as well as initial capital demands, non-traditional loan requirements, and community awareness. Denton’s Affordable Housing Strategic Toolkit lays out several activities and strategies to work to mitigate these obstacles and incentivize innovative and affordable missing middle housing and infill.

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  • Affordable Housing 101: Defining "Affordable"

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    Affordable housing is a critical issue for many people and communities across the U.S., including Denton. While the definition of affordable housing varies, it is generally understood to mean that low- to moderate- income households should not pay more than 30% of their income on housing costs, including rent and utilities.


    What constitutes affordable housing?

    There are different tools available for determining housing affordability. When discussing affordability in relation to the policies, programs, and advocacy under the Affordable Housing Toolkit, as well as grants and community programs under Community Services, the City of Denton strives to make our definitions uniform, accessible, and understandable by all stakeholders. Therefore, the City refers to affordability using the Department of Housing and Urban Affairs (HUD)’s defined terms.


    HUD has established guidelines for determining affordability based on the Area Median Family Income (AMFI) estimates and Fair Market Rent (FMR) area definitions for each metropolitan statistical area (MSA). Denton is a part of the Dallas, TX HUD Metro MSA which contains: Collin County, TX; Dallas County, TX; Denton County, TX; Ellis County, TX; Hunt County, TX; Kaufman County, TX; and Rockwall County, TX.


    HUD’s income limits for different household sizes and locations ensure that affordable housing programs are accessible to household of different sizes, incomes levels, and needs. An area’s median family income (MFI) is the midpoint of a region’s income distribution, where half of the population earns more and half earns less. Income qualified households fall in a percentage below MFI.


    For the Dallas Metro MSA based on MFI the AMFI is currently set at $105,600 per year.


    Source: HUD 2023 HOME Income Limits


    Income categories:

    • Moderate Income – Households with incomes between 80% and 120% of AMFI
    • Low-income (LI) – Households with incomes between 50% and 80% of AMFI
    • Very low-income (VLI) - household incomes between 30% and 50% of AMFI
    • Extremely Low-Income (ELI) – Households 30% or below of AMFI

    Income limits for a family of four:

    • Moderate Income – $82,500 or more
    • Low-income (LI) – $82,500
    • Very low-income (VLI) - $51,550
    • Extremely Low-Income (ELI) – $30,950


    HUD defines affordable housing as housing that costs no more than 30% of a household’s income. Using the HUD data in income limits, categories, and household size, rent limits necessary to meet the 30% affordability standard can be determined.



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