Zoning Changes

Our Vision

A zoning code that allows Albuquerque the flexibility we need to address our housing demand. Two-thirds of the city is zoned for single-family detached homes, which prevents diverse types of housing in the majority of the city. Adjusting the Integrated Development Ordinance (IDO) to provide more options and flexibility for housing developers is desperately needed to accommodate the needs of the various populations in our city: from seniors, to families, to students.

Summary of Adopted Zoning Changes

The City Council voted on the following zoning changes on January 6, 2025 in O-24-69, which went into effect on January 28, 2025.

O-24-69 will be incorporated into the IDO document after the next biennial update, expected in Fall 2026.

Zoning changes include: 

• Allowing the following housing types permissively in all Residential zone districts within ¼ mile of Main Street and Premium Transit areas – Adopted
  • Duplexes
  • Townhouses
  • Multi-family dwellings
• Removing building height maximums from multi-family dwellings within ¼ mile of Main Street and Premium Transit areas – Adopted
• Increasing parking reductions in Urban Centers, Activity Centers, Main Streets, and Major Transit Corridors in Areas of Change to 50%
• Increasing parking reductions in Premium Transit areas to 60%

The City Council voted on the proposed Zoning Changes on June 21, 2023 as O-22-54, which the Mayor signed into law on July 6, 2023. The adopted changes go into effect on July 27, 2023. The IDO is available in full on the City's Planning webpage. 

• Casitas/Accessory Dwelling Units (ADUs) – Adopted
• Conversions of Non-residential Development to Multi-family Dwellings - Adopted
• Two-Family Homes (Duplexes) – Not Adopted
• Building Heights – Not Adopted
• Parking Reductions for Multi-Family Dwellings – Not Adopted

Proposed Changes in 2025

1. O-25-90 Safe Outdoor Spaces: Councilor Rogers is proposing changes to the IDO to allow portable showers and toilets to reduce costs and remove barriers to creating more safe spaces for people experiencing homelessness.
2. R-25-167 Opt-in Zoning Conversions: Councilor Fiebelkorn is proposing a process that allows property owners to opt-in for upzones that allow more housing options on their properties.
3. IDO Update 2025 Planning staff will be submitting a package of changes to remove barriers to housing production and incentivize gentle density infill development that can offer more housing options for households at all income levels throughout the city.

Allowing Missing Middle Housing Options / Gentle Density / Infill Development

• Disallowing single-family in MX-T
• Allowing a duplex on corner lots 5,000+ s.f.  
• Allowing cottage development on Residential lots 10,000+ s.f.
• Converting low-density residential zoning to multi-family zoning near Comp Plan Centers + Corridors
• Within ¼ mile of Premium Transit and Main Street corridors
• In Activity Centers
• Along Major Transit Corridors

Decreasing Costs per Unit

• Reduced minimum lot size and setbacks in R-1
• Higher building heights
• Reduced parking requirements for multi-family and workforce housing
• Removing minimum parking requirements in Centers + Corridors

Explanation of Changes Proposed in 2022

Casitas/Accessory Dwelling Units (ADUs)

Two-Family Homes (Duplexes)

Building Heights

Parking Reductions for Multi-Family Dwellings

FAQs

Casitas/Accessory Dwelling Units (ADUs)

To help meet the immediate demand for housing and prepare for expected growth, the Housing Forward ABQ initiative is pursuing solution-oriented zoning changes. One of the adopted zoning changes allows casitas in the R-1 zones citywide. Previously casitas with kitchens were allowed in small areas and just two corridors in R-1 zones. Casitas are small, detached homes located on the same lot as a typical single-family home. Now, casitas are  allowed only in the rear yard on lots with enough room to meet all setbacks and other requirements. They are limited to 750 sq. ft. and require an off -street parking space.

Casitas provide a flexible housing option for multigenerational families or households that can benefit from rental income. Allowing this option is intended to add housing for families in existing neighborhoods where the city has already invested in infrastructure, community facilities, and amenities.

The City of Albuquerque’s Planning Department is providing four different casita construction plans for free to the community to help property owners who may want to add a casita on their property. Watch for more information from the Planning Department.

Read the Planning Department's Accessory Dwelling Unit FAQ

Download the Casitas/Accessory Dwelling Units (ADUs) One-Page Overview

Two-Family Homes (Duplexes)

To help meet the immediate demand for housing and prepare for expected growth, the Housing Forward ABQ initiative is pursuing solution-oriented zoning changes.  One of the proposed zoning changes that was not adopted would have allowed two-family homes in all R-1 zones citywide, which account for 68% of zoned properties in Albuquerque. Today, two-family homes are allowed in a small fraction of the R-1 zones in Albuquerque. The proposed change would have opened up the current restrictive zoning code to allow two-family homes to flourish throughout the city and add vital housing options for all income levels.

Today, two-family homes are created most often when people convert part of their homes into a separate dwelling unit. The result is called a two-family home. Allowing these in existing neighborhoods would have added housing for families in homes of a comparable size to those in existing neighborhoods. Two-family homes provide a flexible housing option for multigenerational families or households that can potentially benefit from extra rental income.

Currently two-family homes are only allowed in R-1A zone. The proposed change would have allowed two-family homes in all R-1 zones, which would have allowed conversions and new construction at the scale of single-family houses in neighborhoods throughout the city.

Download the Two-Family Homes One-Page Overview

Building Heights

To help meet the immediate demand for housing and prepare for expected growth, the Housing Forward ABQ initiative is pursuing solution-oriented zoning changes.  One of the proposed zoning changes that was not adopted aimed to eliminate building height maximums for multi-family residential development and mixed-use development, except in small areas where distinct rules apply.  Eliminating maximum building heights was intended to remove a regulatory barrier to development projects to increase housing units.

Graph 01:  Building Height Step Down Diagram

One existing rule that remains in place is the Neighborhood Edge, which requires a transition between more higher-density and low-density development. Any commercial or apartment building within 100 feet of a single-family home, townhouse, or two-family home can only be a maximum of 30 feet tall. At more than 100 feet away the building height maximum is determined by the zoning.  Near the Centers and Corridors where development is most appropriate, Urban Centers (UC), Main Streets (MS), and Premium Transit (PT) areas, building heights are limited to 30 feet high only within 50 feet of a single-family home, townhouse, or two-family homes.

Download the Building Heights One-Page Overview

Parking Reductions for Multi-Family Dwellings

Albuquerque is experiencing a housing supply crisis. With rising costs and the need for between 13,000 and 28,000 more units, families in our city feel the strain every day. Further, it is people of color who are disproportionately experiencing housing cost burdens, eviction, overcrowding, and instability. To help meet the immediate demand for housing and prepare for expected growth, the Housing Forward ABQ initiative is pursuing solution-oriented zoning changes.

One proposed zoning change that was not adopted aimed to reduce parking requirements for multi-family dwellings in mixed-use zone districts. Modifying the restrictive requirements in the City's zoning code would have allowed housing developers to provide an appropriate amount of parking for development in mixed-use zones to promote higher density and more infill housing. It was anticipated that this change would have increased rental options for families by at least 1,000 units by 2025.

Download the Parking Reductions for Multi-Family Dwellings One-Page Overview

FAQs

Process 

• How can community members provide input on the proposed Housing Forward ABQ IDO changes?
  • Planning staff will host meetings throughout July and August 2025 to discuss proposed changes.
  • Community members interested in making their voices heard can attend public hearings throughout the City's review and decision process. 
    • The Environmental Planning Commission will hear proposed changes in October 2025.
    • The City Council's Land Use, Planning, and Zoning, Committee will hear proposed changes likely in November or December 2025. 
    • City Council will decide on proposed changes likely in January 2026.
• Can someone come to my neighborhood association meeting to share information on the Housing Forward ABQ IDO Changes?
  • To request a presentation on Housing Forward ABQ for your neighborhood association, contact Doug Small at [email protected].
  • See the schedule of upcoming community meetings
• Is there an opportunity for non-profit community partners to support or be a part of affordable housing development projects?
  • The City is actively looking for non-profit partners for affordable housing development and/or management. Opportunities will be made available via RFP's posted on the Health, Housing, & Homelessness Website.

Accessory Dwelling Units

• In order for the ADU proposal to achieve the goal of increasing affordable housing, what policies and enforcement mechanisms will prevent the new units from becoming just more short term rentals?
  • The City is proposing legislation (O-23-69) to cap the number of short term rentals in the City to avoid losing further housing stock. We are working with stakeholders to develop a policy that is fair to existing property managers and takes into account the needs of the community.
• How will property taxes be recalculated on a property that has an additional ADU added?
  • The addition of an ADU would likely increase the value of your property. Any assessment to your potential tax liability would need to be discussed with an attorney and the County Assessor.
• How many ADUs would be allowed on a property?
  • This proposal allows for one detached unit and up to two attached units (i.e. a two-family home).

Integrated Development Ordinance

• What is the IDO?
  • The IDO stands for the Integrated Development Ordinance. 
  • The IDO is the standing zoning code for the City of Albuquerque and was adopted by the City Council in 2017.
  • The Planning Department Submits Changes to update the IDO in odd-numbered years and encourages people to give input about any desired changes.
  • Learn more about proposed changes in 2025 on the IDO Project Update webpage.
• What are the different types of zone districts?
  • There are many different types of zoning in the City of Albuquerque. The largest share of zoning is residential R-1 for single-family homes and casitas, totaling 68% of all parcels in the city, which comprise 49% of total area in the City. The City is not proposing to eliminate the R-1 designation.
    • The proposed changes in 2025 would eliminate the range of lot sizes and setbacks in R-1 (i.e., subzones) and leave the smallest lot sizes and setbacks as the minimum in R-1. This is intended to reduce the amount of land necessary to build a house, which also reduces costs and helps housing to be more affordable.
    • The proposed changes in 2025 would allow a duplex on corner lots that are 5,000 square feet or more in R-1. This would allow a gentle density increase on the edges of neighborhoods, allowing more families to benefit from existing infrastructure, amenities, and services. Allowing more households also helps sustain local businesses near neighborhoods.
  • The proposed changes in 2025 would convert low-density residential zone districts (R-A, R-1, and R-T) in Activity Centers and Major Transit corridors, and within ¼ mile of Premium Transit and Main Street corridors, to a multi-family zone district (R-ML) that allows a full range of housing options from single-family to apartments, including duplexes, townhouses, and cottage development. Allowing more housing options in Centers and Corridors can encourage “missing middle” housing of 2-10 units that makes housing more attainable for households at many income levels.
  • For a list of all zone districts, please visit the IDO website.
  • See a zoning map of Albuquerque
• What are Centers and Corridors?
  • Centers and Corridors are areas mapped in the Comprehensive Plan as the most appropriate places for new development.
  • The Comprehensive Plan establishes Centers and Corridors as a strategy to manage growth. The strategy is to avoid sprawl by encouraging development in centers of activity where the City has already invested in infrastructure, public facilities, and transit and along corridors that connect these centers whether people are traveling on foot, by bike, on transit, or by driving.
  • The IDO establishes incentives and extra regulations for development in Centers and Corridors to encourage development, ensure walkability, and coordinate with public transit.
  • To view Centers and Corridors, please visit the IDO Zoning Map and click on button 2 at the bottom of the map to turn on/off different types of Centers and Corridors.
• What are the new height requirements for buildings under the proposed changes in 2025?
  • Proposed changes for 2025 would allow taller buildings in Activity Centers, Major Transit corridors, Urban Centers, Premium Transit corridors, and Main Street corridors.
  • Proposed changes in 2025 would also add or increase building height bonuses for workforce housing and structured parking in multi-family residential zone districts and mixed-use zone districts.  
• What are the new parking requirements under the proposed changes in 2025?
  • Minimum parking requirements would be reduced for multi-family development citywide to 1 space per dwelling unit up to 2 bedrooms or 1.5 space per unit for 3 or more bedrooms.
  • Workforce housing (affordable to households making 80% or less of the Area Median Income) would only require 1 parking space per unit, regardless of size.
  • No parking would be required in Centers and Corridors, leaving the amount of parking up to each project to determine. A parking maximum would apply to non-residential development to avoid large seas of parking lots in the city’s most urban, walkable areas.
• What are Protection Overlay zones?
  • Character, View, and Historical Protection Overlay zones are areas of the City that are designated by the City Council to establish special regulations to protect them when development occurs.
    • An example of an area with Character Protection Overlay is the Santa Barbara Martineztown Neighborhood near downtown.
    • An example of an area with a Historical Protection Overlay zone is the Silver Hill neighborhood near the University.
    • Finally, an example of an area with a View Protection Overlay zone is along Coors north of Namaste Road as well as the area around the Petroglyph National Monument.
    • The proposed zoning changes would not affect any special regulations established by these Overlay zones. To view all areas covered by protection overlays please visit the IDO Zoning Map and click on button 3 at the bottom of the map to turn on/off different types of Overlay zones.
• How are Neighborhood Associations notified of construction projects in their neighborhood?
  • The Neighborhood Association Recognition Ordinance (NARO), which is managed through the Office of Neighborhood Coordination, outlines how neighborhoods can register for notice of projects near them. 
  • The IDO establishes what type of notice is required for different kinds of projects. 
• How do the proposed changes to the IDO affect people living in a Home Owners Association that has existing covenants?
  • HOA's are governed by the State of New Mexico, not the City of Albuquerque. Any existing covenants would not be subject to these changes.
• Are there any protections for existing solar panels so that they will not be blocked?
  • The IDO has regulations limiting building height on the northern side of residential property to ensure southern solar access to properties to the north.
  • Property owners with solar panels can also apply for a solar rights permit to protect existing solar panels.
• Will ADA requirements still be enforced with these proposed changes?
  • The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) is federal law and is required of municipalities across the country without exception. All ADA requirements will still be applied to any new development regardless of any changes to zoning.