ACCESSORY DWELLING UNITS AND COMMERCIAL CONVERSIONS

Accessory Dwelling Units (ADUs) are comparatively smaller, compact units on a lot already occupied by a “primary” residence or house. ADUs have traditionally been used to facilitate multi-generational housing and subsequently are sometimes referred to as “granny fats” or “in-law units”. In 2019, California Governor Gavin Newsom signed signed five bills that support and facilitate the production of ADUs across California. Our research has identified ADUs as a best practice for providing naturally occurring affordable housing within the ongoing housing scarcity and unaffordability crisis.

Commercial conversions (the conversion of commercial space to a residential use) also present a strategy for supplying housing units during a housing shortage. Mixed-use developments are common place in urban areas globally, and the COVID-19 Pandemic has revealed opportunities for underused retail and office spaces. Therefore, the conversion of excess commercial space into residential units could provide housing in job-rich, transit accessible areas of our cities.