Bookmark this ADU News post if you have an ADU or want to add one to your dwelling. Accessory Dwelling Units are gaining popularity all over America and we track the most interesting updates on ADU policy, finance and investment news.
ADU News August 2022
Minneapolis Ended Single Family Zoning And The World Did Not End. Only 100 more units were added to SFR zoned areas between 2020 and 2022. However, homeowners have more freedom to use their land as they like.
How to reign in rent prices. In this op-ed in Fortune magazine Christopher Ptomey says zoning needs to change to allow for gentle housing density.
CA is cracking down on NIMBY local governments. The California Housing Accountability Unit is putting some teeth behind the state laws designed to make it easier to add housing.
The US should “Bribe” its way to greater density. This article suggests that the biggest hurdle to solving the housing crisis are current homeowners. What if they received compensation from the government?
Gainesville, Florida moves to eliminate single-family zoning. This is in the same bucket as SB9 in California. Both are moves toward allowing more housing to exist in the same amount of land. For kicks, here is an OpEd bit about how the origins of zoning are car-centric and racist.
Tech That Tackles NIMBYs – Bloomberg News. Municipalities have a federal mandate to add new housing. This software is a sort of SimCity game- you must place the required new residential units on a municipal map. It’s saying, don’t complain; help us devise a solution. Brilliant.
Boxable isn’t the only foldable home – a Vancouver start-up called Rohe Homes installed their first live unit in Sechelt (Canada)
Exploring long-term possibilities of ADUs – a fascinating essay on ADUs and how they may change how we view housing and community.
Boxabl – The Foldable Tiny Home– Boxabl is notable for a dead sexy idea and getting Elon Musk to say he would sell all his mansions and live in one. So far, the hand-built prototype is used as a guest house for Elon, and no one is sure when the production version of Boxabl will start shipping.
Newport Beach ADU Website – Newport Beach just released a gorgeous new website to help residents who want an ADU. Newport. Beach. Yup, this ADU thing is really catching on, folks.
Motley Fool, 15 Reasons To Rent ADU – We love the Motley Fool; otherwise, we would not click on something that sounds so obvious. But- there are a few good tips in this article!
Los Angeles Family Builds ADU for Disabled Son – We are all about helping people with their Care Crisis in housing, and this story is a perfect illustration!
Massachusetts Is Missing The ADU Boat – a great article that compares California’s progress toward easing the housing crisis with ADUs and how Massachusetts’s piecemeal local efforts have failed.
ADU News July 2022
Long Beach Incentives ADU Owners To Accept Section 8 Tenants. This could be good news for ADU owners looking for stable tenants. The incentives are small- reimburse fees for water and gas meter installation- but it is an exciting step toward increasing Section 8 inventory.
Financing Proves An Obstacle for ADUs. That is a big understatement. This article from Housingwire recaps the housing shortage (We need to add 5.5 million housing units nationwide) and the problem with outmoded government financing rules (not allowing potential ADU rental income to help qualify for a mortgage). Read our article on ADU Financing Solutions for some practical ideas.
How Much Can Rents Go Up? This is an interesting article if you are adding an ADU for rental income. It breaks down the rent increase ordinances for several Los Angeles area cities.
Increase Your Property Value. Investors.com makes the case for ADUs as part of your retirement strategy. At the end of the article they touch on property taxes, but we think we did a better job in our Accessory Dwelling Units and Taxes article.
What an ADU Can Mean For Your Home Buying (or Selling) Plans– Better Homes and Garden (via Yahoo! Life) cautions that you should research any home for ADU feasibility before purchase. We think that is a wise idea! We offer free and paid feasibility studies – click the “free consultation” button to get started!
An opposing opinion– Density does not create more affordable housing. The author sees up-zoning as a simple money play by the government. He does not suggest an alternate solution to the housing shortage.
NIMBY vs YIMBY – an interesting look at the “yes” or “no” in my backyard movements. One of the points- zoning and density initiatives (up-zoning) tend toward a narrow focus- often considering just one proposal at a time. Broad up-zoning could “reduce the potential for runaway values and displacement of residents.” This article is an intelligent look at both sides of the issue.
Areas making progress in ADU legislation: Bellevue, Washington, Ripon, CA, Port Angeles (Long Beach, CA), New England
ADU Financing News – Aspire is a new loan product that allows you to access your home’s equity without refinancing your primary mortgage. The twist- you qualify on bank statements, not on an analysis of your income and debt. ADU Financing is a fast moving space! Stay tuned for more loan options.
Why Your House Was So Expensive – a fascinating article in The Atlantic about the root causes for to high cost of building a home – or a Backyard Home. It’s not **just** the cost of labor and materials. It is also the broken permits system.
