Is the answer to the housing crunch right in your own backyard?
Summary
After the 2020 Almeda Fire in Southern Oregon destroyed many homes, there was a housing shortage. Some people like Jacob and Elize Fry built small rental homes called Accessory Dwelling Units (ADUs) in their backyards to help people who lost housing. California has made it easier and cheaper to build these units, which helps provide affordable long-term rentals.Key Facts
- The 2020 Almeda Fire in Oregon destroyed thousands of homes, worsening the housing crisis.
- Jacob and Elize Fry built two small rental homes (ADUs) in their backyard to help displaced people.
- ADUs are small, separate houses built on the same property as a main house, also known as granny flats or mother-in-law suites.
- California laws now allow multiple ADUs on single-family lots, but only for long-term renters, not short-term like Airbnb.
- There are currently 82,000 ADU building permits in California, showing strong growth in this housing option.
- UCLA professor Dana Cuff helped pass the California ADU law and lives in an ADU herself.
- Some neighbors worry ADUs strain local infrastructure such as parking, sewers, and waste services.
- Tenants living in ADUs often include young families or newlyweds looking for affordable housing options.
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