![]() While ADUs have begun trickling back into communities in recent decades, the single-family-only home trend has dominated to the present. ADUs decreased precipitously as single-family zoning proliferated and lots occupied by one home with a yard became the American ideal. In the years after World War II, ADUs gradually fell out of favor as rapidly expanded suburbanization and an accompanying growth in preferences for larger lot sizes and lower density triggered zoning laws reflecting these trends. ADUs frequently provided space for aging relatives to remain living with their families. Often homeowners would build a small dwelling on a new property, then add a main house as the family grew. For centuries, it was common for property owners to add over-the-garage and basement apartments or build carriage and gate houses. There once was a time when ADUs were a popular housing option in the United States. A Popular Housing Option Once Upon a Time If ADUs became a trend, it would make a substantial impact on alleviating the housing shortage. There are millions of single-family homes in Massachusetts. ADUs also usually house only one or two people, so the impact on utilities is minimal.Ībsent single-family zoning restrictions, every homeowner across the state (or country, for that matter) would be free to add an ADU and house a renter in affordable fashion. Sometimes, as in the case of renovated basement, attic or over-the-garage apartments, they don’t add any square footage to an existing structure. In some cases, ADUs can be built as of right, without the requirement of special permits.ĪDUs are typically small and therefore require only a modest addition to the building footprint. Often these units can be built without the need of an architect or developer, and are sometimes even built or renovated by the homeowners themselves. For one thing, the addition of an ADU to a single-family property can usually be managed relatively cheaply – $50,000 or less – and paid for by the property owner. (Image: cc sa-by pinterest.) ADU Advantages Over Multi-familiesĪccessory dwelling units can be a highly advantageous option for providing housing in contrast with other housing formats, such as duplexes, triplexes and multi-unit buildings. And ADUs often make for desirable living spaces because the landlord is on the premises and is therefore more likely to tend to maintenance, upkeep and aesthetics, and to keep noise to a minimum.ĪDUs such as this tiny house at the back of a residential lot could add to the state’s affordable housing stock and help provide a solution to housing crises. Because the square footage of ADUs is small, rent for such units is usually relatively low. It can also provide additional income for homeowners who might rent out their ADU.ĪDUs can be a solution for renters seeking affordable housing. In the right circumstances, ADUs can allow homeowners to provide a living space for an aging relative or a child in college. ADUs can be attached to the main house, such as an attic or basement apartment, or may be detached, as an apartment over a garage, for example, or a converted carriage or pool house. Further size restrictions and other regulations may be imposed by specific municipal ordinances. According to the housing choice law, Chapter 358 of the Acts of 2020, ADUs must be restricted in size to either no more than half of the principal dwelling on the property or 900 square feet, whichever is smaller. Most often, these dwellings have one bedroom, but some have a studio-style layout, and a small percentage may have two bedrooms or more. ADUs have their own dedicated entrances, and their own kitchens and bathrooms. What Are ADUs?Īccessory dwelling units, also commonly referred to as in-law apartments, add-on apartments, mother-in-law apartments, “granny flats” and other terms, are smaller, separate dwellings on a property with a larger dwelling. ![]() And while a few communities, such as Salem and Arlington, are pushing forward with ADU zoning changes, several fronts of resistance to this once-popular housing option remain. So far, however, there is little evidence of a rush to pass zoning changes that could ease the ADU building process.Įvery one of the 350 towns and cities under the auspices of the state’s Zoning Act has its own local zoning ordinances. ![]() More ADUs could have an important positive impact on the state’s affordable housing stock over time. Accessory dwelling units come in many shapes, sizes and configurations, such as this detached over-the-garage apartment.
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