build more on your lot

Two Anchorage Assembly members have reintroduced the Missing Middle Housing Opportunity Overlay, a plan that would let property owners along certain Anchorage traffic corridors opt in to looser rules on how many units they can build on their lot and how big those buildings can be, without going through a rezone.

Right now, a homeowner who wants to add a duplex, a townhome, or a small cottage court along one of those corridors often has to choose between a costly rezone process or dropping the project. The overlay would give those property owners a clear path to build more units on their own land instead.

The plan is a rework of last year's Transit-Supportive Development Overlay, which was paused in the fall after public pushback. This version keeps existing height limits in single-family neighborhoods in place, addressing the main complaint from last time about shadows and bulk from taller buildings next door. It also comes with a longer public process and more time for Anchorage residents to weigh in.

Supporters say Anchorage needs more attainable housing as rents continue to rise and working residents are priced out of neighborhoods from Spenard to Muldoon. The Anchorage Assembly plans to vote on the overlay in September, leaving time for public comment before a final decision.