Requiring Middle Housing Designations

What is happening? North Carolina is considering HB 401 (2021 | NC) that would require local zoning codes to include middle housing in residential zoning. Middle Housing is duplexes, townhomes, triplexes, & quadplexes in single family residential zoning. It also requires local governments to allow at least one accessory dwelling for single-family resident. These accessory dwellings may not be held to owner-occupancy, minimum parking or conditional-use zoning requirements.

Why is this important? It balances the need for housing in tight housing markets by including townhouses and friends but it also gives single family property owners access to add a guest house, show term rental or home office on their property.

How will this be important?High growth cities are grappling with adding more housing and changing local single family zoning to include townhouses, duplexes, triplexes and quadplexes.

Carteret News Times | Towns worry 2 state bills could thwart local ability to regulate property use