Everybody needs an ADU…for somebody they love
The housing debate gets bogged down in fights about affordability and displacement that are important, but a distraction from the core issue. We need a lot of new housing, but it doesn’t have to be fancy or big. The new ADU laws functionally make a triplex legal in most of the state, so think of households that can now resume the patterns of the past.
- Elder parent living near a child, but independently in an ADU or JADU. Or
- Elder parent living in a modern ADU in their own back yard and renting out the big house for income.
- Adult children or siblings who struggle to live independently, but can thrive if help is next door
- Young people building their own small starter home next door to the folks…without having to buy the land.
- Siblings pooling funds to buy a house and expanding with an ADU and JADU to share their real estate investment
There’s no way to list all the potential situations where an ADU would be a great solution. Everyone will have their own favorite scenario. That’s why the ADU is the most brilliant tool for our housing dilemma. It lets the solution be as broadly distributed as each lot and each homeowner. I don’t want to hear any complaints about “big developers”. This is the most mom and pop opportunity imaginable.