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

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

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

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