Cottage housing is small, detached houses clustered around a common landscaped area. Currently, this type of housing is allowed in multifamily zones, but is now being considered for single family zones. Standards for cottage housing would promote development that is similar in scale and design to traditional bungalows. Driveway or alley access to shared on-site parking can be accommodated with minimal impact on the neighborhood streetscape.
The Mayor supports creating affordable housing options by increasing the variety of housing types available to Seattle residents. Cottage housing can provide an affordable alternative to single family home ownership. As part of the Housing Choices project, DPD worked with the Seattle Planning Commission on concepts for cottage housing. These concepts will form the basis for developing more detailed standards for this development type.
See the links below for information on the concepts:
- Overview: "What is Cottage Housing Development?" (430KB PDF)
- Presentation on potential cottage housing development standards and review components (103KB PDF)
