This week, Sacramento City Council approved a plan that would help move forward the construction of multi-family housing in neighborhoods previously considered single-family zones.
The city has been working to fill the gap left behind from “missing middle” housing, a term that refers to multi-family housing units which were more commonly found before World War II.
Some of the proposed changes include:
- Removing zoning designations that limit how many residential units can be built on a lot
- Outlining the floor area ratio (the ratio between a property’s square footage + the gross square footage of a potential building) for different zoning designations
- Increasing the allowable floor area ratio (in some cases)
Sacramento officials also approved increasing the density in developments near public transit, such as SacRT light rail stations. Under the new plan, certain existing city limitations — such as maximum building height and open space requirements — still apply.
The announcement is part of the city’s 2040 General Plan Update, which will be formally adopted following a vote on Feb. 27, 2024.
