While we normally think of economic opportunity as new businesses or jobs, the availability of affordable housing is a huge driver to growing our city. Back in June, Mayor Malik and Akron’s planning department brought legislation to City Council that remove some of the barriers to developing new housing and investment in our neighborhoods. These proposed zoning update include:
- Reducing or eliminating minimum lot size requirements for residential developments to allow homes to be built again on smaller vacant lots. There are a number of these vacant lots in all our neighborhoods - look around as you walk or drive, and due to current minimum footage lot requirements established years ago, they remain vacant and in some instances, become overgrown with high grass and weeds. The planning department gets regular requests to add housing on these lots, but the current code has legislative hoops to jump through that create barriers. Updating the code will make this process easier and allow for future development that will revitalize our neighborhoods with new homes.
- Allowing up to three housing units on parcels in more areas of the city, increasing flexibility for duplexes, triplexes, accessory dwelling units and small scale neighborhood housing. We’ve all heard the buzz about “Tiny Homes” and one example was brought up by Ward 8 Unify Akron Delegate David Loar at a recent Ward meeting. He envisioned a smaller house for he and his wife in back of their home, and his daughter taking over the family home. This legislation would open the code to these and similar options on residential lots, and the planning department sees more of these requests in Ward 8 than any Ward in Akron. The reasoning behind the duplex an twinplex units, is to incite good local landlords to invest and develop in the city, rather than out of state, absentee operators who tend to add to our housing problems. We’ve found that local landlords take better care of both their tenants and properties, with far less housing and code violations.
Making it easier to reinvest in older residential buildings that become “legal nonconforming” after zoning changes made decades ago, helping preserve existing housing stock and reducing barriers to rehabilitation. There are a number of owner converted multi-unit homes in the city that sell without the proper zoning. These “legal nonconforming ” units have to go back to the planning department, planning commission and ultimately City Council for approval, which takes a lot of time and money. By modifying the code, many of these units will be sold to local investors with multi- family zoning in place, so they can easily be updated, improved and available for renters.
Made in Akron Housing Plans
Adding to these changes are the 10, free Made on Akron Housing plans available to developers through a partnership with the City and Summit County Land Bank. The plans developed by Grassroots Architecture foundedby Ward 8 resident Ryan Grass, are pre-reviewed /approved by the planning department and are based on current Akron Housing designs. The 10 designs range from a small cottage (tiny homes again), 3 bedroom/two story home, to two and 3 family apartments. All of these designs meet current building standards while incorporated elements of Akron’s architectural identity. Best of all they’re free and can save you $ thousands if your building or developing a property.
All of these initiatives are designed to help bring new, local housing and developments in our city. Take a look at these cool designs here:
https://cms2.revize.com/revize/akronoh/Departments/Planning%20And%20Urban%20Development/Made%20In%20Akron%20Housing%20Plans/Made%20in%20Akron%20Pattern%20Book%202026-09-01%20-%208x11.pdf?t=202609011557320