Accessory Dwelling Units

Accessory Dwelling Unit

ADUs Benefit Wealthy White Homeowners, Study Finds

Cities like Austin, Denver, Los Angeles, Portland, and now Seattle are pursuing equity-based agendas for ADUs.

October 22, 2018 - The Urbanist

Granny Flats Legalized Citywide in St. Paul

The Accessory Dwelling Units (ADUs) movement has take hold in the Twin Cities. Now ADUs are allowed all over the city of St. Paul.

October 18, 2018 - Pioneer Press

Hover Board

The New Dream Home Includes a Granny Flat

You can pay off the mortgage, but you can never leave.

October 16, 2018 - The New York Times

Accessory Dwelling Unit

Op-Ed: Seattle Merely 'Inching Forward' on ADUs

They're a good start. But compared to similar policies in cities like Portland and Vancouver, Seattle's new policies around accessory dwelling units may be lackluster.

October 12, 2018 - The Urbanist

Victorian Townhomes

Philadelphia Aims to Create or Preserve 100,000 Units of Housing

The city of Philadelphia released a document detailing its intentions around housing and related policies. The plan, which has been described as "ambitious," places a focus on equity.

October 11, 2018 - PlanPhilly

Accessory Dwelling Unit

Retrofitting Cities with Accessory Dwelling Units Is a Win-Win

Expensive West Coast cities are looking to these alternative and add-on structures to ease their housing challenges.

September 24, 2018 - SF Gate

Oakwood Modernist House

Raleigh Could Legalize Accessory Dwelling Units—With Lots of Strings Attached

Residents in parts of Raleigh would be allowed to build accessory dwelling units (ADUs) on their property, if a majority of their neighbors approve the idea.

September 6, 2018 - The News & Observer

Vancouver Townhomes

'Making Room Housing Program' Would Allow New Density in Vancouver

Duplexes, rowhouses, and small apartment buildings will be on the zoning menu for "housing choice neighborhoods" around Vancouver, thanks to the city's new "Making Room Housing Program."

August 22, 2018 - Sightline Institute

Planning Commission OKs ADUs Citywide in St. Paul

The City Council will still have to approve the likely controversial idea of allowing accessory dwelling units citywide in St. Paul, Minnesota.

July 18, 2018 - Pioneer Press

Don't Forget the Green Benefits of Accessory Dwelling Units

Accessory Dwelling Units (ADUs) don't just help mitigate housing supply and affordability issues, they also offer significant sustainability benefits.

June 6, 2018 - Sightline Institute

Accessory Dwelling Unit

Environmental Impact Study Builds the Case for Accessory Dwelling Units in Seattle

Proponents of a new Accessory Dwelling Unit rule in Seattle say the tactics of opponents backfired with this Environmental Impact Study.

May 24, 2018 - Sightline Institute

Accessory Dwelling Unit

Portland Makes ADU Incentives Permanent

Development fees can add some $15,000 to the cost of building a home in Portland. Residents adding an accessory dwelling unit to their property won't need to worry about those expenses, as long as they don't use the limit for short-term rentals.

May 9, 2018 - Portland Tribune

San Francisco

California as a Model for Housing Legislation

The Golden State may have the nation's most severe housing crisis, but there is one area of state housing policy where it shines, becoming a model for other states that want to advance accessory dwelling units, also called granny or in-law units.

May 7, 2018 - Next City

California

One Obstacle to ADU Construction in California: The Price of Permits

The price of a permit to build an accessory dwelling units in the city of Thousand Oaks in Southern California is prohibitive—putting the permitting fee in opposition to the stated intent of the city's zoning code and state law.

January 30, 2018 - Thousand Oaks Acorn

Building Boom: Study Reveals Effects of California's 2016 Accessory Dwelling Units Law

Permits have shot up after California passed a landmark law in 2016 to make it easier to permit and construct accessory dwelling units (ADUs).

December 25, 2017 - Terner Center for Housing Innovation

Commit No Nuisance sign

Alley Dwellings Looking More Attractive

Examining the growing demand for alley homes in Washington, D.C.—where alleys were once considered "evil."

December 20, 2017 - The Washington Post

Complying With New State Laws on ADUs No Easy Matter

Santa Rosa is struggling to complying with two laws passed last year to encourage construction of inlaw units to increase affordable housing. Council members are concerned that loosened restrictions would degrade neighborhood character.

December 11, 2017 - The Press Democrat

Eichler

Third Rail of the Housing Debate: More Density in Single-Family Neighborhoods

If California is going to address its chronic housing shortage, single-family residential neighborhoods can no longer be ruled "off limits." Opposition to a small Berkeley subdivision spawned new housing legislation and fostered the YIMBY movement.

December 5, 2017 - The New York Times

ADUs Are Having a Moment

Granny flats, mother-in-law units, accessory dwelling units (ADUs), or secondary units—whatever you call them, more and more cities, regions, and states are making it easier to deliver subtle density in the backyard.

October 11, 2017 - Public Square

L.A. County Pilot Project Will Pay Homeowners to Add Granny Flats

A new pilot project doesn't have the funding to upend the housing market in one of the most expensive markets in the country, but it does set a precedent of support for new housing models.

August 18, 2017 - Curbed Los Angeles

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