Weekly earthquake data for Mauna Loa, Hawaii Volcanoes National Park (USGS)
(Multi-family 1-4 Dwellings/Single-family Housing)
From 1990 to 2015 there has been a sharp decline in middle housing within Pierce County. The middle contains dwellings that are detached units, duplexes, triplexes, and fourplexes. In the 1990’s multi-family 1-4 permits made up anywhere from 20-36% of housing permits. Starting in 2000, that dropped abruptly to 9% and never rose above 15% again. As of 2015 7% of permits issued where for multi-family 1-4 units.
Increasing multi-family 1-4 housing would help Pierce County fight urban sprawl by increasing density without mid-to-high rise apartments. It will help the county to grow ‘smartly’. One of the ideologies of smart growth is mixed-density housing and compact design. Multi-family 1-4 dwellings provide just that. Pierce County needs more middle housing options in order to combat sprawl and to have a diverse offering of housing to all residents.
© Ryan Mitchell