Accessory Dwelling Units (ADUs) offer flexibility to residential homeowners. These detached structures act as second living rooms, "in-law suites," and even rental spaces. In this project tracker page, we're collecting the latest ADU projects, market news, research, and trends. Expect regular updates of the page. And for all your accessory dwelling unit news, read it here on Utopia.
THE LATEST:
ADUs Surge in California, Gain Momentum Nationwide (John Burns Research and Consulting) — August 23, 2023
"In anticipation of a worsening crisis, California enacted zoning changes in 2017, which makes adding ADUs to single-family lots much easier. Although the local application and interpretation of the state-wide mandate vary, the results are clear: ADU construction spiked from 1,100 in 2016 to 23,600 in 2021.
About 68K ADUs were built in California from 2017–2021, which made a small dent in the enormous gap between demand and supply for housing. The housing shortfall in Los Angeles was estimated at 250K units in 2022 alone. Although the bulk of ADU development has been in California’s large, high-cost metros, some smaller cities are also embracing the concept. ADUs represented 46% of 2022 permits for new homes in Santa Maria, a central California city with about 110K residents and a median home value of $404K."
Check out some of our other project tracking pages:
PREVIOUS:
Studio Shed Introduces New Turnkey, Built-to-Code Accessory Dwelling Units (ADUs) (Studio Shed, PRNewswire) — May 11, 2023
"As the demand for Accessory Dwelling Units (ADUs) continues to rise and zoning regulations for the popular housing solution lift in neighborhoods across the country, Studio Shed, the prefabricated modular home industry leader since 2008, today announced the debut of a new collection of four curated ADU designs in an effort to streamline and ease the permitting and building process for its customers.
The new product offerings feature sizes ranging from a studio to one- and two-bedroom units, complete with interior layouts, finishes and Express Permit Plan Sets. Priced 15% below custom ADU designs, Studio Shed's new in-stock models include pre-engineered Express Plan Sets delivered to customers in as little as two weeks to help them navigate local permitting regulations and reduce costs."
PREVIOUS:
Demand for Accessory Dwelling Units (ADUs) is Golden in Southern California; Villa Homes Launching in San Diego (Villa Homes, PRWeb) — April 18, 2023
"Villa Homes, America’s leading next-generation homebuilding platform, and the largest detached Accessory Dwelling Unit (ADU) builder in California, is launching operations in “America’s Finest City” of San Diego. Villa’s entry into the San Diego market is timely as the housing crisis in San Diego continues. Half of the city’s housing supply consists of rental units, of which less than 1% are vacant, records show. The lack of housing supply has driven up rents by ~15% compared to last year, according to a study from the Southern California Rental Housing Association.
'Despite headwinds in the broader housing market nationally, demand for Accessory Dwelling Units (ADUs) continues to be extremely strong across California, with some of the most rapid growth in new ADU building happening across Southern California markets,' remarks CEO of Villa Homes, Sean Roberts."
PREVIOUS:
Study Shows What Americans Really Think About Tiny Homes and ADUs (Quinn Purcell, Utopia) — May 2, 2022
"Since the beginning of their popularity during the 2008 recession, searches for tiny homes have increased by over 680%. Material shortages and increasing mortgage rates have not only hindered the homebuying process, but have deterred some people from looking for traditional homes altogether.
HomeAdvisor and its parent company, Angi, are committed to helping people love where they live, no matter the size, layout, or location of their home. The goal of this survey was to gauge Americans' attitudes towards small homes—including whether they’d live in them or buy them, what attracts them to the idea of ADU/tiny home living, and the concerns they have."