Majority of Homeowners and Renters Support ‘Modern Densification’ in Their Neighborhoods

With housing supply still severely strained nationwide, homeowners and renters say they are open to adding a mix of housing options in their neighborhoods, according to a new Zillow survey.

The report, which surveyed more than 12,000 people across 26 U.S. metropolitan areas struggling with housing affordability, found that 77% of all homeowners and renters surveyed voiced support for constructing either new accessory dwelling units (ADUs), duplexes, or triplexes in residential neighborhoods.

Key findings:

• 73% of homeowner respondents support at least one modest densification option, including new backyard cottages or the building of new duplexes or triplexes.
• 84% of renters supported at least one modest densification measure.
• 61% of respondents agreed that affordable housing in their neighborhood is more important than preserving free parking for themselves.
• Most respondents said allowing modern densification would positively impact housing affordability, access to public transportation, and access to amenities like parks and restaurants.

The takeaway:

Zillow’s latest research shows a growing consensus among homeowners and renters that more housing should be created in their neighborhoods to address affordability challenges.

The survey asked homeowners and renters how to best address affordability issues during a red-hot real estate market wrestling with limited housing inventory, rising interest rates, a steady increase in home prices and climbing rents across the country. Those factors are coupled with a decade of underbuilding that has left the housing market needing millions of housing units.

Based on Zillow’s research, the addition of ADUs, duplexes, and triplexes could yield 3.3 million homes to the nation’s housing stock, helping boost housing supply in the coming years and slow runaway price growth.

“We are facing a housing crisis that’s touched most communities across the country, pushing housing affordability to the center of the conversation for many,” said Manny Garcia, a population scientist at Zillow. “One of the most effective ways out of this crisis is to build more homes. Modest densification measures, like adding a small apartment in a backyard or converting existing homes into duplexes, could create millions of new homes.”

“This survey shows that residents of more than 20 major U.S. metros—including homeowners—understand that building more homes in our neighborhoods is a credible and viable policy tool to increase housing supply and address affordability while leaving a positive impact on their community in the long term,” said Garcia.

While respondents supported adding smaller multifamily options like ADUs and duplexes, Zillow noted that the support declined when considering larger, multifamily apartment buildings.

Only 57% of those surveyed supported new apartment building construction.