Liberalized ADU laws must be defended in court
Recent legal developments show that we need to do more to ensure that permits are, in fact, being issued and new ADUs can be built.
Designing an “oversized tiny” home for real-world, full-time living
As CEO of Backyard ADUs, a company that builds small homes and ADUs, I think about living in small spaces a lot. There are tons of cool and clever 200SF … Continue reading
ADU Legislative Initiatives- History in the Making (Part IV)
On August 12th, 2020, the City of Portland finally passed the Residential Infill Project. This was an overhaul of single family residential zoning regulations that was nearly five years in the making. This post will cover the changes that are coming with Residential Infill Project and also tease you with what is to come with Oregon’s House Bill 2001.
Accessory dwelling units and the coronavirus: can ADUs help?
The author is quarantined in his own accessory dwelling unit, during the coronavirus pandemic.
Consider Going All-Electric For Your ADU
Natural Gas, or methane has been promoted both as a ‘Clean Fuel’ or a ‘Bridge Fuel’ in various circles, both locally and nationally during this time of climate crisis. Concurrently, the IPCC has called for a far more rapid decline in the use of fossil fuel, more rapid scaling up of renewable energy taking advantage of the falling costs, and avoiding a lock-in of high-carbon infrastructure.
Perspective: How to make accessory dwelling units affordable
ADU financing could — and perhaps should — be a lot more like commercial real estate financing, only with a human touch. A guest post by Roger A. Gins.
Accessory Dwelling Units: A Tale of Two Cities
Guest post by Mark Thieroff from St. Paul, MN
About five years ago, interest in accessory dwelling units had reached a critical mass in Minneapolis and St. Paul. ADUs were seen by proponents as a way to increase housing diversity and flexibility and add density in residential neighborhoods. But Minneapolis and St. Paul ended up taking very different approaches and, consequently, have seen markedly different results.
I’m semi-retiring! (On a personal note…)
I’m semi-retiring as a co-editor and numbers guy at accessorydwellings.org . But the site is alive and well.
Words of Advice about the ADU Development Process, from Those Who Have Gone Before You
Question: If you completed an ADU or are in the final stages of building one, what advice would you offer to prospective ADU owner-developers?
Below are the 25+ responses to that question from homeowners who actually did it.
To DADU or Not To DADU–Seattle’s ADU Debates
There’s some lively discussion in Seattle these days about relaxing restrictions for Detached Accessory Dwelling Units (DADUs). There doesn’t appear to be strong opposition to DADUs, but some are expressing … Continue reading
Accessory Dwellings 