This 635-Square-Foot Santa Monica ADU Glows Like a Lantern Laser-cut screens add a sculptural moment, plus privacy. As ADUs (accessory dwelling units) become more and more popular, their designs become more sophisticated. Take for example, this Santa Monica ADU and garage with its angled façades and laser-cut aluminum screens that create a lantern-like effect at night. The homeowners (a family of four with two teenage boys) wanted to add two new structures—the ADU and garage—to

This spring, Hawaii joined the growing list of states that have loosened restrictions on Accessory Dwelling Units (ADUs) to alleviate the housing shortage. Also known as “granny flats,” ADUs are apartments on the same lot as another, larger structure, typically a single-family home. Hawaii’s new law, SB3202, requires the state’s five counties to create new zoning districts that allow at least two ADUs on single-family lots.  Unlike in California, where pro-housing legislators have spent nearly

Officials say building more accessory dwelling units, or ADUs, can help older residents continue living in the city they helped build, and offer homeowners a way to generate income and create generational wealth by utilizing their existing spaces. Ed Reed/Mayoral Photography Office. Mayor Adams and other city officials announcing a new pool of funding to help homeowners build or convert ADUs. In the middle of public review for his proposed City of Yes for Housing

Bond Bill Allows By-Right Accessory Dwelling Units On August 6, 2024, Governor Healey signed “The Affordable Homes Act” into law. This ambitious bill authorizes $5.16B and encompasses various policies aimed at spurring housing development. It is anticipated that the new legislation will support private and public efforts to preserve, rehabilitate and create approximately 65,000 homes within the next five years. The legislation takes effect in February 2025 and includes a key change to G.L. c.

Colorado House Bill 24-1152, which Gov. Jared Polis signed in May, represents an important step forward in boosting the supply of affordable housing in the state’s population centers that need it most. The law, which goes into effect on June 30, 2025, makes it easier for most Colorado residents to build an accessory dwelling unit (ADU, a.k.a. casita, in-law suite, or granny flat). The man who signed the bill recently explained his rationale for inking it:

Major changes to Charlotte’s development rules, adopted last year and designed to boost housing density across the city, are showing early success in one unexpected place — backyards. Compact, adaptable residences are redefining the concept of family living, turning ordinary residential lots into vibrant, multigenerational compounds. “A few years ago, nobody asked me for a backhouse, and now I have three clients currently that are only looking at houses with ADUs,” says Mary Helen Davis,

Will New York City Join The ADU Craze? Mayor Adams Says Now Is The Time Benzinga and Yahoo Finance LLC may earn commission or revenue on some items through the links below. Housing in New York City is always at a premium, but data released earlier this year showed that the situation is at critical levels. The New York City Housing and Vacancy Survey put vacancy rates at 1.4%, a historic low. "The data is

Image by The Registry via AI Accessory Dwelling Units (ADUs) have emerged as a growing trend in the U.S. housing market, with California leading the charge in construction and legislative support. However, despite their potential to alleviate housing shortages, a recent report from Scott Wild, vice president of consulting at John Burns Research and Consulting, has found that the current ADU boom has done little to address the broader issue of housing affordability. California Leads

When Serban and Laura Gudino-Penciu purchased a 900-square-foot bungalow in Eagle Rock in 2004, it was just the two of them. The Pencius’ 1924 house is on a charming street filled with 100-year-old homes and walking distance to stores and restaurants. But after the birth of their two sons, who are now 12 and 15, and Serban’s transition to entrepreneurial freelance work from a corporate job, the family of four needed more live-work space. “As