Los Angeles takes an honest look at ADUs - The Architect’s Newspaper

Los Angeles is examining accessory dwelling units (ADUs) as a potential tool to address the city's escalating housing affordability crisis.

ADUs, also known as backyard homes or granny flats, are small secondary housing units built on single-family residential properties and are typically limited by code to be smaller than the main house.

These units represent a middle ground in the housing spectrum, offering private homeownership opportunities while increasing residential density.

The urgency for housing solutions in Los Angeles County has intensified as the median single-family home price exceeds $800,000 and homelessness continues to rise.

In 2020, nearly 67,000 people were reported unhoused in the county, with both homelessness and home prices increasing by more than 10 percent annually.

ADU approvals accounted for 22 percent of new permits in California last year, representing approximately 6,000 units statewide, demonstrating growing interest in this housing option.

For California property owners, ADUs present an opportunity to add value to their properties while generating rental income or housing family members.

Developers and homeowners can leverage existing residential lots to create additional housing units without the complexities of large-scale development projects.

However, experts acknowledge that while ADUs contribute to housing supply, they alone will not resolve California's broader housing crisis, which requires comprehensive approaches to address the scale of need across different income levels.