Akron removes minimum lot sizes to boost urban housing development

Akron, a Rust Belt city in Ohio, has taken a notable step to revive its urban housing market by removing minimum lot size requirements in its residential zoning code, HousingWire reported.

The city council voted unanimously to rewrite decades-old zoning regulations that previously prevented building smaller houses on undersized lots, allowing homes or multiple homes on any lot that meets yard requirements.

This approach is rare, as most cities and states have only reduced minimum lot sizes or allowed missing middle housing on single-family lots, while some states have resisted local governments' control over lot size rules.

Akron's move aims to attract builders and middle-income residents to reverse a five-decade population decline linked to deindustrialization, with the city's median existing home list price significantly lower than the national average.

Mayor Shammas Malik, elected in 2023, has prioritized reversing the city's decline, and officials see zoning reform as essential to boosting housing supply and affordability.