St. Paul to Consider Upzoning for the “Missing Middle”

The proposed changes aim to increase the housing supply in a city that lacks about 80,000 housing units, according to an article in the Pioneer Press by Frederick Melo. At present, over 70% of residentially zoned land in St. Paul is reserved for single-family homes, while one-third of the city’s housing stock is made up of large apartment buildings. The missing middle housing type is not represented, and its construction could help boost available units while protecting neighborhood integrity and preserving local infrastructure. Duplexes, triplexes, and fourplexes comprise just 11% of St. Paul housing. “From 2000 to 2017, the number of duplexes decreased by 17%, and triplexes and fourplexes decreased by 11%.”

The city’s “1-to-4 Unit Infill Zoning Housing Study” recommends zoning reforms to make housing more affordable and provide more options for St. Paul residents. As outlined by Melo, these reforms include consolidating zoning districts, creating a special density bonus for workforce housing, changing lot size requirements, and establishing new development regulations near transit stations.

Housing advocates support these changes, calling them a positive first step. Isaac Russell, a policy director with the Center for Economic Inclusion, notes that the zoning proposal is necessary to address the homeownership gap between white and Black residents and represents an important rethinking of how to build a city moving forward.