ADU, Granny Flat, In-Law Suite, Backyard Cottage, Tiny House…
There are many names for what could be the solution to California’s housing crisis.
by Jennifer Wilkens
teamMADE Monthly Newsletter – May 2023
“ADU” noun, US / ˌeɪ.diːˈjuː / Abbreviation for Accessory Dwelling Unit: A small home built on the same land as a larger home An accessory dwelling unit (ADU) is a legal and regulatory term for a secondary, small, self-contained residential unit located on the same lot as an existing single-family home. An ADU has all the basic facilities needed for day-to-day living, independent of the main home, such as a kitchen, sleeping area, and a bathroom.
For decades California’s housing production has not kept up with the demand, turning the lack of affordable housing into a dangerous housing crisis. The lack of housing causes rents and house prices to skyrocket, pushing people out of job-rich areas, forcing them to deal with longer commutes and creating a negative impact on their quality of life and the environment.
Additionally, with the increasing challenges of people losing their homes due to the Covid-19 pandemic, job loss, or mental health issues, the result is state and city officials scrambling to deal with a seemingly unmanageable homelessness crisis.
Recognizing the benefits of looking beyond traditional construction, the state of California in recent years, has implemented new laws, changed zoning requirements, and streamlined permit processes to widen the range of housing types and encourage construction in places that are readily available. In combination with empty lots within their own city limits, many officials have followed suit with new initiatives to make it easier and faster to build housing and to invest in solutions to take care of the people most in need.
ADUs present the innovative, affordable, and flexible option to increase housing supply and help more low-income Californians thrive, as they are cheaper and faster to build. ADUs are versatile in their usage and are small enough to literally fit into anyone’s backyard.
Since they must be built on lots with existing or proposed housing, they do not require paying for new land or other costly infrastructure. Even though the unit cannot be bought or sold separately, they are often used to provide additional income through rent or to reduce costs with housing a family member like an elderly parent or a college aged child.
When designed with the various residents in mind, ADUs can provide as much living space as apartments and condominiums, and work well for couples, small families, friends, young people, and seniors. With the addition of sustainable construction materials, solar arrays, state-of-the-art engineering and control systems, the capability to go off-grid, and modular floor plans that can adapt to the residents’ needs an ADU becomes an incredibly resilient solution for our times.
Non-profit organizations have discovered the versatility of ADUs to run programs that not only lift people out of homelessness, but are also accompanied by services such as job training, life skills, and services for mental health. Modular designs enable these programs to either house a group in a larger ADU, or create tiny house villages by combining smaller individual units with shared common areas.
With the public’s rising awareness of climate change and dwindling resources, ADUs provide the perfect tool to increase the much needed housing stock. In addition to the economic potential and new supportive legislation in California, ADUs provide a sustainable, resilient, and affordable solution to providing everyone a home.