Sacramento Missing Middle Housing Feasibility, Affordability & Equity

Urban Analytics + Scenario Planning
Written by Dacie Doucette

Sacramento Missing Middle Housing Feasibility, Affordability & Equity

Sacramento, CA · 2024

★ 2026 Congress for the New Urbanism (CNU) Charter Award, team award with Opticos Design

 

Client: City of Sacramento
Location: Sacramento, CA
Year: 2022–2024
CP Role: Sub-consultant to Opticos Design
Practice Area: Urban Analytics + Scenario Planning · Housing Policy
Team: Alex Steinberger, Principal-in-Charge; Sara Goldstein, Analyst; Lanier Hagerty

 

The Challenge

Sacramento proposed allowing middle housing in its single-unit and duplex zones and needed to know what the code would produce, where it would be feasible, and who it could displace.

Our Approach

We calibrated our financial assumptions with developer interviews and built prototypes pairing pro formas with 3D models. A parcel-by-parcel Dynamic Residual Land Value model then projected which properties were likely to redevelop under each scenario, and a displacement and fair housing analysis showed which neighborhoods would feel it.

Outcome

In September 2024, the City Council unanimously adopted the Missing Middle Housing Interim Ordinance. The Congress for the New Urbanism gave the Opticos Design team, which included Cascadia Partners, a 2026 Charter Award.

 

Related Projects

Projects
Objective Design Standards Feasibility Analysis
Objective Design Standards Feasibility Analysis

Cascadia Partners priced the design standards in ABAG's Objective Design Standards Handbook, so Bay Area cities can ask for good buildings without blocking housing.

Read more →
Talent Railroad District Feasibility Study
Talent Railroad District Feasibility Study

Cascadia Partners tested whether Talent's Railroad District could deliver the housing the city needs, and at what public cost.

Read more →
Lebanon Housing Production Strategy
Lebanon Housing Production Strategy

Cascadia Partners wrote Lebanon's Housing Production Strategy: 19 market-tested actions, adopted in 2023 ahead of the state deadline.

Read more →
Dacie Doucette

This article was written by Dacie Doucette, founder of Hunch Theory Web Design & SEO, a Portland-based web design and digital marketing company.

The idea was simple: to help business owners take the guesswork out of web design and make their online presence something they’re genuinely excited about. I work closely with passionate business owners and community leaders, turning their vision into reality with sites that not only look great but also connect with their customers and help their businesses grow.

I bring a mix of marketing theory, intuition, and my creative touch to every project.

https://hunchtheory.com
Previous

Flagstaff Development Code Update & Impact Modeling
Next

The Historic Trust Reuse & Market Study