“Missing Middle Housing is a range of house-scale buildings with multiple units—compatible in scale and form with detached single-family homes—located in a walkable neighbourhood.” – Missing Middle Housing

“The Pulse” @ Vancouver Co-Op Radio, CRFO 100.5 FM, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter

A single-family home may be our current vision of ideal housing but that picture is no longer realistic, says housing advocate Bruce Haden.

The non-profit organisation Urbanarium, of which Haden is a board member, recently released a report promoting ‘Missing Middle’ housing as one of the solutions to Vancouver’s housing crisis. The report uses the term ‘Missing Middle’ to refer to multi-family housing types denser than duplexes and smaller in scale than condominium buildings.

“We live in a planetary environmental crisis… and all of us will have to contribute to solving that catastrophe,” said Haden.

“One of the villains of the planetary crisis is the single-family house. It’s a tough thing to say, but it’s the reality… It’s the most environmentally expensive way to house people.”