Last week, Phoenix City Council voted 8-1 to allow Accessory Dwelling Units (ADUs) in the backyards of homes zoned a single-family residence, but with the stipulation that they cannot be used as short-term rentals. An ADU is a term for a secondary house or apartment, like a casita or guest house, that shares the building lot of a larger, primary home. The unit cannot be bought or sold separately, but they are often used to provide additional income through rent or to house a family member. The overwhelming support from City Council did not come as a surprise to many. ADUs have proven to be an effective way to combat scarce housing stock in cities where single family housing is the predominant zoning. Phoenix has had an issue with the number of available houses for sale, or rent, for years. Arizona’s Department of Housing recently reported that Arizona is short about 270,000 residential units. Mayor Kate Gallego said, “These units built in the backyard will help families stay together and offer opportunities for multigenerational living.”

Multi-generational living has been a hot commodity in greater Phoenix for the past few years. The NextGen home (a home within a home) built by Lennar is one of their leading models being sold in greater Phoenix and numerous detached garages or “carriage houses” of existing (historic) homes in downtown Phoenix have been converted to additional living quarters already, most of which not properly permitted. As stated by architect Jake Wegmann, “When people can’t find affordable housing solutions, they make their own affordable housing solutions.” The ordinance passed allows Phoenix to regulate and control building standards for ADUs. It is also one step in the right direction for the City of Phoenix to meet the needs of more affordable housing, for owners and renters, because when housing stock increases, affordability increases as well.

If you are interested in learning more about ADUs, I recommend visiting www.buildinganadu.com or picking up the book, “Backdoor Revolution,” by Kol Peterson. If you are interested in learning more on how to carve out your own space for an ADU based on the existing footprint of your home, do not hesitate to reach out to me, as I have worked on several of these.