Housing Inventory Shortage Spurs on Granny Flat Housing Boom

On the West Coast where limited inventory and a lack of affordable housing affect most housing markets, accessory dwelling units (ADUs or 'granny flats'), are becoming pervasive.

In California, a market impacted by affordability concerns, Senator Bob Wieckowski from Fremont and the East Bay Area is sponsoring a new bill, SB 831, aims to make it cheaper to build new units, and easier to add older units to the tax rolls. Speaking to Curbed, Wieckowski said, “You’re not listening to your citizens and what they want to do. In my mind, this is round three. I’ve given you two chances to get rid of these obnoxious, restrictive ordinances that aren’t helping the state of California. We’re in a crisis. You’re not coming up with any ideas, so here’s an an idea.”

The affordable housing shortage has spurred increased advocacy for ADUs, especially in California, where detached single-family homes make up 56.4 percent of the overall housing stock. Recent legislation in the state created a sharp rise in their construction. In Los Angeles, the number of applications for ADU construction rose from 80 in 2016 to 1,980 through November 1, 2017.

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