Arlington didn’t start the ‘Missing Middle’ fire — localities across the country and around the world have been trying to figure out how to deal with rapidly rising housing costs.
While Arlington’s approval of new zoning regulations allowing small-scale multifamily housing in previously single-family-detached only neighborhoods was not the first time a major jurisdiction made such a move, the underlying debate is still raging in certain pockets of cyberspace.
ARLnow’s comment section aside, one place where the fire is still burning is on Twitter. (The social network was recently renamed “X” in a bid to incorporate additional features, arguably making it the National Landing of tech companies.)
On Twitter, a persistent anonymous account named Arlington Transparency has been posting side-by-side images of older homes set to be redeveloped as Missing Middle housing, next to speculation about how much those new units may cost given the price of existing, similar homes in the area.
In each case, the detached home set for demolition is less expensive than a newer townhouse or other multifamily home.
#MissingMiddle Permit pending — "affordable" housing to "⬇️housing costs": SFH for $710k. To be a 3plex. McMiddles sold nearby for >$1 million EACH. pic.twitter.com/QK1BNemxSR
— Arlington Transparency (@ArlTransparency) July 17, 2023
#MissingMiddle permit #31 — "affordable" housing to "⬇️housing costs": 58-yr family property sold in S Arl in 2023 for $678k; to be duplex. McMiddles sell nearby for nearly $1million EACH pic.twitter.com/vdeVM27kX0
— Arlington Transparency (@ArlTransparency) July 25, 2023
On the other side of the debate are local housing advocates like Jane Green, who point out that, yes, the resulting Missing Middle homes will likely be more expensive than the tear-down that’s being replaced, but they’re much less expensive than the “McMansions” that would otherwise be going up.
Plus, the more affordable homes being replaced would need “significant work” to be viable for buyers seeking to live there.
I don't understand how accounts here can disparage Missing Middle zoning reform in defense of the vanishingly few lower priced, fixer-upper detached homes, while ignoring the fact that most of them will become $2+million McMansions. pic.twitter.com/hv4wB668JH
— Jane Fiegen Green (@janefgreen) July 18, 2023
There is an account on here that keeps tweeting pictures of older, smaller SFHs (still going for ~$800k) that are never resold as they are (always knocked down to build $2M homes) and they are upset that there may be two or more new ones coming (for~ $1M instead) 🤷🏻♀️
— Lidija Sekaric (@lidija_sekaric) July 18, 2023
Unsurprisingly for Twitter, there’s a counter argument to the counter argument: that $900k+ townhouses benefit “elites” and not buyers in need of greater affordability.
Pro-#MissingMiddle truth comes out: it’s all about new $1,490,000.00 “attainable housing” for elites by tearing down homes far more affordable for more diverse buyers. Didn’t see that on the “won’t u b my neighbor” flyers & signs 🧐 https://t.co/tNwDgh2Owm
— Arlington Transparency (@ArlTransparency) July 18, 2023
Given the arguments above, who’s got the winning team, in your view? (With apologies to those who feel that this debate has been burning since the world’s been turning.)