Lorenzo A. Brent is the vice president of programming at the Columbus Urban League. In that capacity, he serves as a proud member of the Affordable Housing Alliance of Central Ohio.
Carlie J. Boos is the executive director of the Affordable Housing Alliance of Central Ohio.
Both nonprofit organizations share a mission of expanding homeownership and financial independence in the central Ohio region.
What would it mean for central Ohio if we opened doors to create more millionaires, just by resetting our policies on home ownership?
This isn’t a hypothetical question. New research from the Affordable Housing Alliance of Central Ohio finds that, by choosing duplex homeownership, a local family can earn or save nearly $1.3 million over their lifetime.
What is a duplex? Also known as a double, a twin, or even a maisonette, it is simply a single structure with fully separate and independent living spaces for two families.
Even though we were born in rival states, in very different towns, both of us started our lives in a duplex. Our grandfathers and fathers, like many of their generation, understood that housing can serve as both shelter and opportunity. We lived on our sides, while renting the other to family and friends. This earned modest income that helped pay the mortgage, build equity and create financial security for college and retirement.
Duplex ownership pays dividends
We know firsthand why duplexes are called the “original workforce housing.” It’s because they can be an amazing and rewarding path to achieving the American Dream and finding financial freedom.
We also know duplexes can make our lives easier, our relationships stronger and our neighborhoods more vibrant.
These homes facilitate family caregiving and keep parents and grandparents out of costly assisted living facilities for longer periods of time. They save on college costs and reduce student loan debt when older children attend school while living next door. They generate extra income in our golden years, ensuring that the cost of living never outpaces our retirement savings. The wealth they generate can accumulate further by helping small businesses start and grow.
And they serve the community. Neighbor-owners, instead of absentee Wall Street investors, are far more likely to attend to maintenance and the property’s aesthetics, bolstering the safety, health and vibrancy of our communities all while keeping prices down.
So why don’t we have more duplexes in central Ohio? Because prior generations closed the door on these quintessential American homes.
As our report finds, duplexes are now banned in at least 79% of our region due to outdated zoning codes. In some cities, like Newark or Marysville, it’s even higher, with the zoning code forbidding more than 95% of property owners from building a duplex to house their own families.
A national problem
Central Ohio isn’t alone in facing this problem. Across the country, decades of single-family-only zoning have made duplexes, triplexes and other forms of “missing middle housing” illegal in many communities.
It’s time to do a double take on duplexes.
The National League of Cities has identified missing middle housing as a critical solution to the nation’s housing shortage, particularly for moderate-income families who earn too much to qualify for subsidized housing but too little to afford today’s home prices.
Duplexes create housing choices, increase supply, and allow families to build wealth through ownership and rental income.
The need is real. And the public understands this.
In a Central Ohio’s 2024 housing survey, a whopping 78% of central Ohioans support “missing middle” homes (duplexes, triplexes or townhomes that are stylistically compatible with the neighborhood) on any residential lots.
Charlotte, Raleigh, Portland, Minneapolis, Boise, Alexandra – cities and states across the country are changing laws to reopen the doors of the duplex, returning choices to residents and common sense to housing.
Our housing challenge is big and complex. We need the “swing for the fences” solutions, like Columbus’ affordable housing bond package and its comprehensive Zone In reforms, or the 21st Century ROAD to Housing Act, supported by all central Ohio’s congressional delegates.
But we absolutely need the easy answers, too, like the loveable duplex, and the $1.3 million in wealth it can unlock for our families.
Read the full “Twin Goals: How Duplexes Can Build Family Wealth & Return Affordability to Central Ohio” report at AHACO.org/Twin.
Lorenzo A. Brent is the vice president of programming at the Columbus Urban League. In that capacity, he serves as a proud member of the Affordable Housing Alliance of Central Ohio.
Carlie J. Boos is the executive director of the Affordable Housing Alliance of Central Ohio.
Both nonprofit organizations share a mission of expanding homeownership and financial independence in the central Ohio region.
This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: Unleash new millionaires. Build more duplexes | Opinion
Reporting by Lorenzo A. Brent and Carlie J. Boos, Guest Columnists / The Columbus Dispatch
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
By Lorenzo A. Brent and Carlie J. Boos, Guest Columnists | USA TODAY Network
