As communities across the country search for scalable solutions to the affordable housing crisis, projects that can be replicated, rather than treated as one-off innovations, are especially important. A recent proposal by Costco to build affordable housing above one of its warehouse clubs highlights a model with the potential to be adapted in many places, using land and infrastructure that already exist.
Big-box retail sites, shopping centers, and similar commercial properties are widespread and often located near transit, jobs, and essential services. Many also include large building footprints and underutilized parking or air rights. By adding housing above or alongside these sites, communities can create new residential units without acquiring new land or displacing existing residents. This approach offers a practical pathway for increasing housing supply in built-out areas where options are otherwise limited.
Projects like this can deliver multiple community benefits when structured thoughtfully. Residents gain access to affordable homes close to employment, transportation, and daily needs, reducing both housing and transportation costs. Local governments can advance housing goals more efficiently by leveraging already-developed sites. Communities benefit from more compact, mixed-use development that supports walkability, reduces vehicle miles traveled, and makes better use of existing infrastructure.
The key to duplication lies in systems, not novelty. Replicable projects depend on enabling zoning, flexible building codes, and clear public policies that allow residential and commercial uses to coexist vertically. They also require partnership models that align private landholders, public agencies, and mission-driven organizations around shared outcomes. When these conditions are in place, the same approach can be applied to many different sites and owners, not just a single retailer.
For Community Spaces Network, this example reinforces the importance of advancing models that can scale across geographies and contexts. Many members of our network are already engaged in similar work—co-locating housing with community services, repurposing existing assets, and structuring developments to deliver long-term affordability and community benefit.
The opportunity ahead is to move from isolated examples to repeatable strategies. By documenting lessons learned, sharing tools and policy frameworks, and strengthening cross-sector partnerships, projects like this can become part of a broader, more durable approach to addressing housing needs. When designed with intention, mixed-use developments not only increase housing supply, they help create more connected, resilient communities.