#ADUs
S.D. is making progress toward adding #housing … but a surprising percentage of new units are #ADUs. Is this because there’s genuine demand for ADUs … or because it’s the only housing type that can get a permit? And will ADUs help with #affordablehousing? Leaders are asking these and other questions. https://voiceofsandiego.org/2025/09/29/adu-construction-is-fueling-the-countys-housing-production/
At nearly $1.4 million each, these newly built houses in Annapolis MD hardly qualify as affordable. But they have one feature that might interest urbanists. They come with #ADUs, which allow for multigenerational living or maybe rental units. At that price, homeowners will need all the rental income they can get. https://www.washingtonpost.com/business/2025/09/10/annapolis-area-houses-optimized-multigenerational-living/ #housing
$400,000 for an ADU? in Golden Valley?
Hell—I'd want a Frank Lloyd Wright Usonian home for that kind of money.
“I had to share with the city the specifics of the size of my dog door,” Cunningham said of her Golden Valley ADU. “That was a fun day.”
https://www.startribune.com/twin-cities-suburbs-accessory-dwelling-units/601438149?utm_source=gift
Why does Chicago struggle with policies that other cities resolve quickly? Because good public policy requires two talents scarce in city hall today: a deep knowledge of how policies are created and play out, and the political skills to get the right rules in place. Hence, the drama over when, where and how to permit … #ADUs. https://www.wbez.org/government-politics/2025/07/08/brandon-johnson-granny-flats-city-council-vote-accessory-dwelling-unit-ordinance #housing
ADUs in La Crosse in the news.
https://www.wpr.org/news/online-library-accessory-dwelling-units-land-reuse-la-crosse-adu-granny-flat
If you like political conversions, none is more heartening than the CA legislature’s embrace four years ago of #housing reform. Laws since then have been aimed at forcing cities to plan for and approve more housing. So, CA has lots of new housing units, right? Actually, no, a study shows. Except for #ADUs, there have been scant results. As one advocate put it, “It’s grim.” https://www.governing.com/urban/why-californias-pro-housing-laws-arent-producing-more-housing
“The gateway drug of zoning reform”: By themselves #ADUs cannot solve our #housing crisis. But this form of “gentle density” can help a bit. More important, ADUs may show homeowners that multifamily housing doesn’t harm #neighborhoods. It can strengthen them. https://www.governing.com/urban/how-rural-towns-are-learning-to-love-adus
“Never tell people how to do things,” George Patton once said. “Tell them what to do, and they will surprise you with their ingenuity.” The wisdom of this can be seen in CA’s approach to creating more #housing … by setting goals for local gov’ts and letting them figure out how to meet them. As others struggle with housing mandates, one wealthy S.F. suburb has surpassed its goal, by allowing a lot more #ADUs. Will this work in the future? Hey, let’s give ingenuity a try. https://www.sfchronicle.com/eastbay/article/piedmont-building-adus-housing-crisis-19728741.php
The Shed. Granny Flat. In-Law Annex. Whatever.
Will #ADUs (AKA “granny flats”) play a meaningful role in #affordablehousing? Not unless three things happen: Local gov’ts routinely approve these additions, financing for construction becomes much easier, and we train homeowners to be effective landlords. Big tasks, but we’re seeing a little traction in the first one as local gov’ts turn to a website that’s “an Etsy for ADU designs.” https://www.route-fifty.com/infrastructure/2024/06/platform-lets-cities-residents-shop-granny-flat-options/397464/?oref=rf-home-top-story #housing
That didn't take long.
“We knew Grand Rapids would be a good market, (because), outside of Ann Arbor, it’s probably the most ADU-friendly large market in Michigan, so it was already on (Anchored’s) radar,” Adam Earle said. “And Traverse City, they are moving in that direction, too.” #Housing #ADUs #GrandRapidsMI
Company: https://anchoredtinyhomes.com/grand-rapids
https://www.crainsgrandrapids.com/news/real-estate/new-firm-will-help-grand-rapids-traverse-city-homeowners-build-accessory-dwelling-units/
#ADUs are thought to increase #housing and #density in ways that are barely noticeable. Denver is all in on this idea. But are many ADUs actually being built there? No. And do they end up as long-term rentals or AirBnBs? Not clear, but a lot appear to be short-term rentals. Bottom line: Can ADUs solve Denver’s housing problems? Not unless far more are built, which would require new ways of financing and building them. https://denverite.com/2024/05/01/denver-how-many-adus/
I'm looking through old policy presentations about land use regulations in #cville to prepare for a new talk about #accessorydwellingunits or #adus . I don't love this image but I appreciate that we were talking about the tradeoffs between allowing homes in corridors and nodes vs. allowing homes further out. Both are an important part of the #housing picture and any permitting cuts in one results in more pressure on the other
Summarizing what I know about, and my worries about, Columbus' ADU program: https://www.reddit.com/r/Columbus/comments/1afhnyp/comment/koaafgz/?utm_source=reddit&utm_medium=web2x&context=3
All housing types are allowed subject to density limits, making Loudoun the first big county in suburban DC to end McMansion-only SFZ.
Loudoun's baseline "SN" zoning, at 4/6 DUA (+IZ units and #ADUs) is way more permissive than Fairfax's most-common zones of R-1/2/3 (I will not get upset by "R-Estate" zoning today), or heck even DC's R-1-A zone.
Here's a map showing how little of closer-in Fairfax Co is zoned for more density than Loudoun's baseline SN zones:
An American ideal, reimagined: California is trying to tackle its housing crisis by rethinking the traditional single-family home, building tens of thousands of #ADUs every year. Why isn’t Massachusetts? The latest report from the Boston Globe Spotlight Team: https://apps.bostonglobe.com/2023/10/special-projects/spotlight-boston-housing/single-family-zoning/
Hearing: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zLMvbZYBqgY
As described, the Accessory Dwelling Unit program is a high-touch, low-volume pilot:
- Subsidy of up to 30% of construction cost
- "Affordability covenant" limited to 120% AMI for 15 years
- Only on owner-occupied land
- 20 to 25 units total
- Only in Hilltop, South Side, and Linden
- Applications open in spring 2024
I don't think this is going to meaningfully fix anything, unless they open it up later.
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