Print pageAmericans share more common ground on housing than headlines often suggest.
NeighborWorks America’s Bridging the Missing Middle survey explores how people think about housing today and what they want for the future. The results show that while affordability remains the nation’s top concern, there is broad openness to practical solutions that expand housing options and strengthen communities.
Across generations and income levels, Americans recognize that meeting today’s housing challenges requires more choices, including duplexes, townhomes, and accessory dwelling units (ADUs). These “missing middle” options offer attainable paths to homeownership and stability, helping families live closer to work, schools, and loved ones.
Key Findings at a Glance:
Future housing affordability is a worry for the majority of Americans: 56% are worried about the being able to afford a home in the future including 66% of Gen Zers, 59% of Millennials, 60% of GenXers and 45% of Baby Boomers.
Americans share housing priorities: 95% of Americans say affordability is an important aspect of housing to them, personally and 92% of Americans say proximity to essential services (such as grocery stores, a post office, healthcare facilities, etc.) is important to them.
The majority of homeowners and renters agree on the positive impact of increasing Missing Middle Housing: 61% of adults think that increasing missing middle housing would have a positive impact on increasing housing affordability and 58% of adults think that increasing missing middle housing would have a positive impact on the economy.
The majority of Americans would support zoning changes if it made housing more affordable, and would consider living in neighborhoods with a variety of housing types of smaller scale: 65% of Americans say they would support changes to zoning if it meant housing would become more affordable.
What This Tells Us:
The data also point to growing public support for zoning and land use reforms that make housing more affordable. Many are ready for change if it means creating more affordable communities.
For NeighborWorks America and its national network, these insights reinforce the need for innovation at every level. Across the country, NeighborWorks organizations are piloting new models that make missing middle housing real — from ADU programs to small-scale developments that blend affordability with opportunity. Together, these efforts are helping bridge the gap between what communities have and what they need: housing that is affordable, attainable, and within reach for all.
Read the full press release to learn more about the data and how NeighborWorks is helping more people own their future.
Data
Methodology: This poll was conducted August 26–31, 2025, among a national sample of 4,201 adults aged 18 and older in the United States. The survey was administered online, and the data were weighted to approximate a representative sample of adults based on age, gender, race, educational attainment, region, and combinations of these factors. Results from the full survey have a margin of error of plus or minus 2 percentage points.
