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October 31, 2025Middle Housing by Right: Lessons from an Early Adopter
By Adams-Schoen, S. J., & Sullivan, E. J.
Full Citation
Adams-Schoen, S. J., & Sullivan, E. J. (2021). Middle Housing by Right: Lessons from an Early Adopter. Journal of Land Use & Environmental Law, 37, 189.
Key Findings
The article presents a case study of the State of Oregon’s pioneering middle housing law, which mandated zoning reforms to allow more middle housing by municipalities. Drawing on theoretical and empirical research, the article finds that Oregon's middle housing law took significant and unprecedented steps to dismantle exclusive single-family zoning, increase the supply of affordable housing, and remove inter neighborhood mobility barriers. At the same time, the law reflected compromises that weakened its effectiveness. Enforcement issues and the likelihood of litigation over perceived and actual conflicts between the middle housing requirements and local codes were seen to limit or delay the effectiveness of Oregon's law.