Micro-apartments are back after nearly a century, as need for affordable housing soars

Boarding houses were a staple for low-income, single blue-collar or temporary workers across the U.S. in the early 1900s. A century later, that same concept of small single rooms with a shared kitchen or bathroom is reappearing — now with the trendy name of “micro-apartment” and aimed at a much broader array of residents — as cities buffeted by surging homelessness struggle to make housing more affordable. The Pacific Northwest is a leader in the resurgence of this form of affordable housing. Oregon last year passed a bill opening the door for micro-apartments and Washington lawmakers this year did the same, clearing red tape that for years has limited construction of the micro units.