Affordability is a priority for most Americans when looking for a home, NeighborWorks® America confirmed in a new survey, “Bridging the Missing Middle.” But so are safety, walkability and access to essential services.
The results may not be surprising, said Graciela Kahn, director of Business Intelligence for NeighborWorks® America. “But the highlight is where we come together,” Kahn explained. “Americans agree that affordability, safety and access to essential services are the most important aspects to housing. Even when you compare generations, or you compare locations like urban, suburban or rural, or homeowners and renters, you will still find that these groups share priorities.”
The survey, put together by NeighborWorks with the help of Morning Consult, showed that 95% of Americans say affordability is important when it comes to housing, including 93% who live in suburban communities, 95% in urban communities and 94% who live in rural communities. That is in line with the increase in housing costs, which have outpaced the growth in incomes in most of the nation, according to the Harvard University Joint Center for Housing Studies.
Meanwhile, 91% of American say proximity to essential services, such as grocery stores and healthcare, is important. Again, similar numbers played out over varying demographics.
Slightly less important was walkability, at 79%, but those numbers, too, fell in alignment across generations with 79% of GenZers saying it was important, 80% of Millennials and 76% of Baby boomers. The survey also measured attitudes towards "Missing middle housing” defined as smaller, multi-unit homes (e.g., duplexes, triplexes, ADUs) that fit into lower density neighborhoods and may offer more affordable options than single-family homes. 61% of adults think that increasing missing middle housing would have a positive impact on increasing housing affordability. This includes 59% of homeowners and 63% of renters.
The groups also agreed on the positive impact of missing middle housing in their communities. And the majority of Americans said they would support changes to zoning if it would make housing more affordable.
The survey shows an openness to practical solutions that expand housing options such as duplexes, townhomes, and accessory dwelling units (ADUs). The options help put affordable housing in more desirable locations, close to work, school and family. And they play an important role in helping solve the housing shortage, which is fast becoming a housing emergency. Freddie Mac has estimated a national housing shortage of 3.7 million. Other organizations have put the estimate at millions higher, especially when it comes to affordable homes.
NeighborWorks and its network of nearly 250 local organizations across the U.S. have been exploring and innovating in this field, finding solutions. Recent examples include Self-Help Enterprises in Visalia, California, Community Development Long Island and DCLT in Raleigh, North Carolina, which have all explored building accessory dwelling units as a way to provide affordable housing for new families and a way to help homeowners generate rental income to help with mortgage payments.
Meanwhile Homewise in Albuquerque, New Mexico, just broke ground on a development of 72 townhomes, expected to be ready for sale by June. And Community Ventures in Kentucky announced an expansion to small homes and studios in its Artists’ Village.
An August study by Way Finders, a network organization in Western Massachusetts, found that to meet the housing needs in the region, the focus needed to be on building housing for all incomes and of all sizes.
NeighborWorks has been conducting consumer surveys with a focus on housing for more than a decade.In 2023, the national nonprofit began gathering data more frequently on subjects ranging from climate resilience to affordability to social isolation.
“Data tells a story,” Kahn said. “It’s important for NeighborWorks, with network organizations that serve as a learning lab for new innovations and for information, to help tell that story.”
