Archinect - News

California eliminates single-family zoning

2019-09-16T12:15:00-04:00

Under AB 68, homeowners who apply to build accessory dwelling units, or “granny flats,” can also apply to build a second, “junior” ADU on their property — the functional equivalent of statewide triplex zoning. While the new rules don’t allow the subdivision of properties for sale, they could unleash a “golden age” of ADU construction across the state, leading to a significant increase in housing supply.

“The passage of AB 68 [...] fundamentally shifts the landscape for building new homes in our state,” Brian Hanlon, co-founder and president of zoning reform advocacy group California YIMBY said via press release, adding, “When the Governor signs these bills into law, almost every residential property in the state will be allowed to build three units of housing—including in areas zoned for single family homes.”

A test of compassion: L.A. county to offer residents up to $75,000 to build a “granny flat” for a homeless family in their backyard

2017-08-22T21:04:00-04:00

The county’s board of supervisors gave the green light to The Granny Flats Motion project on Tuesday, which would give homeowners up to $75,000 to build a backyard home—if they agree to rent it to a homeless family or individual. On top of that, the county will also streamline the permitting process, an arguably attractive incentive considering that most of these “accessory dwelling units” in U.S. cities are illegal.

Los Angeles is undertaking a new effort to curb its ballooning homeless population—paying homeowners to build a 'granny flat' for a homeless family to inhabit in their backyard. According to CityLab, "The pilot, for which the county has earmarked $550,000, will grant two or three of such units in areas where zoning is managed by the county as officials assess whether to scale up in the future. It’s part of L.A. county’s broader initiative to address homelessness, in which 51 strategies—from opening up vacant lots for housing to subsidize housing—have been approved between 2016 and 2017."

During the next two months the county will flesh out the details with the hope of implementing the program within the next year and a half. Figuring out the rent and utilities costs is largely left up to the homeowners and their future tenants.

A similar program has already been tested in Oregon’s Multnomah County in May, offering to build as many as 300 tiny homes—roughly 200 square feet. When the...

California lawmakers turn to "granny flats" to help ease housing shortage

2016-07-27T14:52:00-04:00

To help ease California’s housing crisis, Gov. Jerry Brown and state lawmakers are turning to people’s backyards. Multiple bills with the endorsement of Brown are moving through the Legislature to make it easier for homeowners to build small units on their properties, whether in their garages, as additions to existing homes or as new, freestanding structures. [Mayor] Eric Garcetti and other supporters hope the relaxed rules will spur backyard home building to combat a housing shortage..

For more on Los Angeles' major housing crisis, check out these links:

California cities considering "granny flats" to alleviate housing crisis

2015-11-30T12:41:00-05:00

Santa Ana is the latest to embrace the granny flat; earlier this month, its city council directed staff to rewrite city code to make it easier to have granny flats, and to allow them to be larger. [...] "It really is meant to expand people’s ability to help their families and to reduce the overcrowding" [...] Berkeley city officials relaxed regulations to encourage granny flats in March. Pasadena and Los Angeles have also flirted with the idea of loosening restrictions on such units.

More on "granny flats", aka accessory dwelling units (ADUs):