A new home is appearing between Spokane’s classic Craftsman houses and larger apartment buildings, and it does not always look especially “new.” It might be a duplex with two front porches, a small row of townhomes, a backyard cottage, or several compact homes gathered around a shared courtyard.

This is often called missing middle housing, and it is becoming a more visible part of Spokane neighborhoods. The term describes homes that sit in the middle of the housing spectrum: more units than a detached house, but smaller in scale than a traditional apartment complex.

For buyers and future residents, that can mean more choices in established parts of the city. For homeowners, it may create new ways to use a property or house multiple generations. The change will not look identical on every block, but it is beginning to reshape how Spokane thinks about neighborhood living.

The “Missing” Homes Between Houses and Apartments

For years, housing conversations often sounded like there were only two options: a detached house with its own yard or an apartment in a larger building. Missing middle housing fills the space between those choices.

The City of Spokane defines middle housing as modestly scaled development that may include duplexes, triplexes, fourplexes, sixplexes, stacked flats, townhouses, and cottage housing. These homes can add more residences to a neighborhood without requiring a large apartment complex or high-rise building. 

Duplexes and Small Multiplexes Share the Land

A duplex places two homes within one building, while triplexes and fourplexes provide three or four units. Depending on the design, they may resemble a larger house rather than an apartment building.

That smaller scale allows additional households to live on a residential lot while preserving many familiar neighborhood features, such as porches, landscaped setbacks, pitched roofs, and entrances facing the street.

Townhomes Use Space Differently

Townhomes typically share one or more walls but have separate entrances and often multiple floors. Because they use less land per residence, they can provide homeownership opportunities in places where a similarly located detached house may require a larger budget.

Not all townhomes function the same way. Some include private yards and garages, while others emphasize lower-maintenance living and shared spaces. Buyers should understand whether the property includes a homeowners association, which exterior responsibilities belong to the owner, and how the land beneath the home is legally structured.

Cottage Developments Create Smaller-Scale Communities

Cottage housing generally places several compact detached homes around a shared courtyard, walkway, or landscaped area. Instead of organizing every home around a large private yard, the design creates smaller personal spaces alongside a communal outdoor setting.

This arrangement can appeal to buyers who want a detached residence without maintaining a large property. It may also create a stronger sense of connection among neighbors, although shared-space rules and privacy expectations should be considered carefully.

Backyard Homes Are Becoming Part of the Conversation

Accessory dwelling units, commonly called ADUs, are smaller homes located on the same property as a primary residence. They may be created inside a basement, attached to the main house, added above a garage, or built as a separate backyard cottage.

Spokane’s current municipal code allows up to two ADUs on qualifying lots in several residential zones, subject to the standards of the underlying zoning district. Detached ADUs may be as large as 1,000 square feet, depending on building coverage and other requirements. 

Why More of These Homes Are Appearing in Spokane

Spokane did not suddenly invent duplexes, cottages, or backyard homes. Many older neighborhoods already contain them. What has changed is the city’s effort to make these housing types easier to build in more residential areas.

Spokane’s Housing Action Plan was adopted to increase housing options that are accessible to households with a wider range of incomes. More recent planning efforts have focused heavily on two-, three-, and four-unit developments and other forms of middle housing. 

The City Is Trying to Add Choice, Not One Universal Design

The Building Opportunity for Housing changes adopted in 2023 permanently updated development rules for lower-intensity residential zones. The changes addressed lot sizes, setbacks, building footprints, design standards, and the ability to construct detached homes, duplexes, townhomes, triplexes, and fourplexes. 

The practical goal is not to make every street look the same. It is to allow more types of homes to fit within existing neighborhoods, particularly in places where residents already have access to streets, utilities, schools, parks, transit, and local businesses.

Smaller Homes Can Use Existing Infrastructure

Building within established Spokane neighborhoods can place additional homes closer to services that already exist. Residents may be able to live near employment, shopping, transit routes, schools, and parks without pushing every new development farther toward the edge of the city.

That does not mean every site is equally suited to additional housing. Parking, trees, utilities, drainage, traffic, and the scale of nearby homes can all affect how a project fits into its surroundings. Spokane’s regulations include design and building-placement standards intended to address the size and appearance of lower-scale residential projects. 

What This Trend Means for Spokane Buyers

More housing types can give buyers choices that fall between apartment living and purchasing a larger detached house. A townhome may offer a manageable path to ownership, while a duplex unit or cottage may provide a smaller footprint in an established neighborhood.

That opportunity comes with new questions.

Ownership and Maintenance Can Look Very Different

A townhome may include association dues and shared exterior responsibilities. A cottage development may have communal landscaping. A duplex could involve a shared wall but no association at all. An ADU may share utilities with the primary home or have separate meters.

Buyers should understand exactly what they own, what they maintain, and which expenses are shared. The purchase price alone does not reveal the complete cost or ownership experience.

Privacy Still Depends on Design

Missing middle housing does not automatically mean giving up privacy, but buyers should pay attention to window placement, entrances, parking areas, sound separation, outdoor spaces, and the distance between buildings.

A thoughtfully designed duplex can feel more private than a poorly arranged detached home. A cottage courtyard may encourage interaction, which one buyer may love and another may find too communal. Touring the property at different times of day can help buyers understand how the design functions in real life.

More Choice Does Not Always Mean Lower Prices

Smaller lots and shared walls can reduce some development costs, but missing middle housing is not automatically inexpensive. Location, construction quality, interest rates, association fees, demand, and land costs still influence the final price.

The real value of the trend is broader choice. Buyers may gain access to a neighborhood or home style that would otherwise be difficult to find, even when the property is not the least expensive option on the market.

Homeowners May Find New Possibilities on Familiar Lots

Existing owners may also be affected as these housing types become more common. Some may explore building an ADU, converting unused space, replacing a detached garage, or redeveloping a larger property.

Those ideas require more than enough room in the backyard. Zoning, lot coverage, setbacks, utilities, parking, permits, construction costs, financing, and long-term management all need to be considered.

Spokane created a Middle Housing Support Team to help property owners and development professionals understand the rules and navigate proposed projects. 

We have helped buyers recognize that development potential should always be verified rather than assumed. A large lot or detached garage may appear suitable for another residence, but the legal and practical feasibility depends on the exact property.

More Homes, More Ways to Live in Spokane

Missing middle housing is changing Spokane by expanding the definition of what a neighborhood home can look like. Detached houses are still part of the picture, but they now sit alongside a growing mix of townhomes, duplexes, cottages, small multiplexes, and accessory dwelling units.

For some residents, these homes may create a more manageable path to ownership. For others, they may provide space for extended family, rental income, or a lower-maintenance lifestyle in an established neighborhood.

The important takeaway is not that one housing type is best. It is that Spokane buyers and homeowners now have more ways to match a property with the way they actually live.

Thinking about buying, selling, or evaluating a property in one of Spokane’s changing neighborhoods? Contact Real Estate Done Right to understand the home, surrounding development, ownership structure, and local details before making your next move.

FAQs

What is missing middle housing?

Missing middle housing includes residential options between detached houses and large apartment buildings, such as duplexes, triplexes, fourplexes, townhomes, stacked flats, cottages, and accessory dwelling units.

Are townhomes considered missing middle housing?

Yes. Townhomes are a common form of missing middle housing because they provide multiple individually occupied homes at a smaller scale than a traditional apartment complex.

Can Spokane homeowners build an ADU?

Qualifying properties may support attached or detached ADUs, but the project must comply with zoning, building coverage, setbacks, permits, and other city requirements. Homeowners should confirm feasibility with Spokane’s Development Services Center before making plans.

Will missing middle housing change every Spokane neighborhood?

Not at the same pace. Development depends on available properties, construction feasibility, owner decisions, market demand, and neighborhood conditions. Change is likely to happen gradually and unevenly.

Is missing middle housing always more affordable?

No. These homes can broaden the range of available sizes and ownership options, but prices still depend on location, construction costs, interest rates, land values, condition, and demand.

About Real Estate Done Right

Real Estate Done Right serves buyers, sellers, investors, and relocation clients throughout Spokane, Coeur d’Alene, North Idaho, and the greater Inland Northwest. The team helps clients understand not only the home in front of them, but also the neighborhood, ownership structure, development potential, and changes taking place nearby.

Ranked #14 in Idaho and among the top 0.5% of agents nationwide, Real Estate Done Right has sold more than 250 homes and averages 37 transactions per year. The team has earned more than 80+ five-star Google reviews and over 75+ five-star Zillow reviews.

Whether a client is considering a detached home, townhome, duplex, investment property, or residence with an ADU, Real Estate Done Right provides local guidance built around practical use, long-term plans, and the realities of the property.