Housing & Zoning Reform

About our Housing Campaign and Approach:

Housing Reform for a Stronger Albuquerque

For decades, Albuquerque’s housing has been stifled by rigid zoning laws that prioritize exclusion over growth. These arbitrary restrictions are among the leading causes of our city’s housing crisis, contributing to rising homelessness and skyrocketing housing costs. Housing is not a commodity—it’s a fundamental necessity for our community’s well-being.

No neighborhood should face abrupt, radical transformation. But at the same time, no neighborhood can be entirely shielded from change. Our city thrives when neighborhoods grow and adapt naturally, guided by the needs and aspirations of the people who live there.

At Strong Towns ABQ, our fight for housing reform focuses on two key goals:

• Legalizing high-density housing in priority transit corridors, main streets, and city centers.

• Legalizing gentle density—like triplexes, casitas, and small apartment buildings—everywhere in Albuquerque. This avoids concentrating development in small areas leading to gentrification or displacement, and allows all Burqueños to benefit from natural growth, resources, and (gentle) density. 

These changes benefit everyone - they make our city more financially resilient, environmentally friendly, and equitable. By increasing the supply of housing, we address homelessness with real solutions, allow neighborhoods to evolve organically, and avoid the destructive boom-and-bust cycles of investment and disinvestment that Charles Marohn writes about.

Imagine a city where all neighborhoods have the flexibility to naturally thicken over time, creating vibrant spaces to live, work, shop, and relax—without needing to sit in traffic just to grab essentials.

Get Involved

Want to learn more? This is the right page! Dive into the history of our fight for zoning reform in Albuquerque, discover what missing middle housing is and why it matters, and join our Housing Campaign Working Group (announcements below!) to help make meaningful change. Together, we can ensure Albuquerque’s neighborhoods remain places where everyone has the opportunity to thrive.

Questions about the Campaign Working Group and how to participate? 

Contact Campaign Coordinate Charles Dean at charleswdean00@gmail.com 

What is Missing Middle Housing?

"Missing Middle Housing is a range of house-scale buildings with multiple units—compatible in scale and form with detached single-family homes—located in a walkable neighborhood"  (Daniel Parolek, Opticos Design)

Articles on Missing Middle Housing