Eli Spevak's presentation about ADUs and other missing middle housing options

1. Omaha, NE November 14, 2019
Eli Spevak, Orange Splot LLC
(Re) Introducing ...
Petite, Discreet and Affordable Homes
for Today’s Smaller Households

2. 2
Home sizes are out of sync with household sizes
• About 30% of
households are
single people
living alone
• More than 85%
of housing
stock is 2+
bedrooms
Available free at aarp.org/livable

3. 3
HOUSING
More than 50% of
renters 65+ were
rent-burdened
(paying more than
30% of income for
housing) in 2015,
up from 43% in
2001
Less than 1% of
US homes have a
set of features
needed to support
aging in the home
MOBILITY
The average
American outlives
her ability to drive
by 6-10 years
Walking trips up by
seniors from 9 to
14% from 2009 to
2017
People 65+ were
over-represented
in pedestrian
fatalities in 35
states
Current patterns aren’t serving older adults well
DISASTERS
Older adults are
disproportionately
impacted by natural
disasters, and
aren’t fully prepared
for emergency
situations
PUBLIC SPACES
Seniors comprise
20% of general
population but only
4% of park users
ISOLATION
Isolation and
loneliness are
worse for health
than obesity
The health risks of
prolonged isolation
= smoking 15
cigarettes/day
Housing is central to all of these +
more

4. • ¾ people 50+ want
to stay in homes
and communities
• Homesharing on
the rise, up from 2-16%
• 1/3 homeowners interested in building
ADUs for help, income, and
companionship Available at
https://www.aarp.org/research/topics/community/info-
2018/2018-home-community-preference.html
What DO older adults want?

5. Young people need housing too

6. Inspirations
Author, Illustrator and Inspiration: Daniel Pinkwater

7. Historic Precedents

8. Where I’ve Lived

9. Pop Culture
Terms of Endearment
Melrose Place
123 Sesame Street

10. Quaint little LEED Platinum
homes

11. A 2,200 SF High Performance Home (like
LEED) is worse for the climate than a 1,633
SF home built to base code
ClimateChange(IPCC2007GWP100,KgCO2e)
From Jordan Palmeri, Oregon DEQ
Why not ditch the extra 600sf (or more)?

12. “Missing Middle” Housing Types
For Traditional, Walkable Neighborhoods

13. Row Homes
James Borchert’s “Alley Life
in Washington, DC”
Mason St. Townhomes

14. Courtyard Clusters

15. Courtyard Clusters

16. Courtyard Clusters: Cohousing

17. Courtyard Clusters: Cohousing

18. Duplex, Corner Lot

19. Duplex – Side-by-Side and Up-Down

20. Internally Divided Larger Homes

21. Accessory Dwelling Units
Caleb & Tori Bruce’s main house -> ADU
Jefferson’s house while Monticello was getting
built (Lester Walker, A Little House of My Own)
Sabin Green ADU by Orange Splot LLC

22. Accessory Dwelling Units
Bruce and Carolyn Nelson’s detached ADU
Derin & Andra Williams’ basement ADUGranger House internal ADU

23. Detached Bedrooms
Ruth’s Cottages (Orange Splot LLC)

24. Tiny Homes
Wagons on the trail!
Families living out of covered wagons Lina Menard’s “Lucky Penny”

25. Tiny Homes
Built by Orange Splot LLCBoneyard Collective in Washington, DC
Dee Williams and her tiny house
Caravan: The Tiny House Hotel

26. Tiny Homes: Community by Necessity

27. Bringing Back the Boarding House!
The Farmhouse
Euclid Manor

28. Boarding House
Flora & Ulysses (by Orange Splot LLC)
The Forge

29. Site Plan

30. Floor Plans

31. Co-living management model
The Farmhouse
Euclid Manor

32. (Re) Introducing the ADU

33. Famous ADU dwellers

34. Above Mr. Cunningham’s garage
In the front yard setback
(not allowed in most juridictions)
In the atticIn the basement
Jefferson’s house while Monticello
was getting built

35. Who lives in ADUs?
From Jordan Palmeri, Oregon DEQ

36. Too many names!
Carriage House
Granny Flat
In-law Suite
Mother-in-law Flat
Sidekick
Laneway House
Backyard Cottage
Garden Suite
Secondary Dwelling Unit (SDU)
Tiny House
Basement Apartment
Next Gen
Grand Retreat
Ancillary Unit
Accessory Dwelling Unit (ADU)

37. Photo: City of Santa Cruz
What’s an Accessory Dwelling Unit (ADU)?
An accessory dwelling unit (ADU) is a second dwelling unit on
a single family residential lot.

38. Why so much interest in ADUs?

39. 1. Lack of Housing Choice

40. Residential Infill Project| 40
More than 44% of land zoned single-dwelling
1927 2016
Single-family
zoned areas
20% 44%
Multi-family
zoned areas
33% 10%
Portland, OR
Progressive Portland, OR?? ...

41. 2. Familiarity & Acceptance (A long
standing American Tradition)
Chicago, IL coach house
Evanston, IL coach house

42. 3. Adaptibility: Flexible for All Stages of
Life; Short & Long term uses
42
Bruce and Carolyn Nelson’s detached ADU

43. 4. Multi-Generational Housing
Lesa Dixon-Gray’s mom Shirley
(from Lina Menard’s post in www.accessorydwellings.org)
Kavita Daswani, LA Times
Sandra Keenan, NYT
Laure Joliet, NYT

44. 5. Demographics: Smaller Homes for
Smaller Households
Source: City of Milwaukie and URBSWORKS
1 person
16%
2 persons
31%
3+ persons
53%
Share of Households by Size, 1960
State of Oregon
1 person
19%
2 persons
33%
3+ persons
48%
Share of Households by Size, 1970
State of Oregon
1 person
23%
2 persons
35%
3+ persons
42%
Share of Households by Size, 1980
State of Oregon
1 person
25%
2 persons
36%
3+ persons
39%
Share of Households by Size, 1990
State of Oregon
1 person
26%
2 persons
36%
3+ persons
38%
Share of Households by Size, 2000
State of Oregon
1 person
27%
2 persons
36%
3+ persons
37%
Share of Households by Size, 2010
State of Oregon

45. 6. Environmental Benefits of Small Homes
~80%~15%
2011 Study by Oregon Department of Environmental Quality
From Jordan Palmeri, Oregon DEQ

46. 7. Affordability
From Jordan Palmeri, Oregon DEQ

47. 8. Great niche for small/emerging
contractors and architects

48. 9. Politically Palatable: Discreet Density &
Disbursed Impact
10. Property rights: Why shouldn’t I be allowed
to build one?
11. Aging in Place without leaving the
neighborhood
A few more reasons to support ADUs

49. Oregon DEQ Research Findings:
Survey of ADU owners
Table 2: Final Response Rates
Target
Completes
Total
Completes
Valid
Sample
Response
Rate
Portland 248 290 673 43.2%
Eugene 82 49 91 53.8%
Ashland 57 30 66 45.5%
Total 369 830 44.6%
From Jordan Palmeri, Oregon DEQ

50. Household Size
Average ADU household size = 1.45 people
From Jordan Palmeri, Oregon DEQ

51. ADU owner status?
From Jordan Palmeri, Oregon DEQ

52. Who lives in ADUs?
From Jordan Palmeri, Oregon DEQ

53. Who lives in ADUs?
From Jordan Palmeri, Oregon DEQ

54. Do ADUs have low
environmental impact?
From Jordan Palmeri, Oregon DEQ

55. What if we legalize ADUs?
Many cities have allowed ADUs, but in
very restrictive ways

56. Crafting ADU codes that...
(1) Respond to local concerns and
(2) Actually get used

57. HOT Topics!
Short Term
Rentals
Pre-existing /
Illegal ADUs
Traffic &
Parking
Fitting In: Size,
Type & Design
Compatibility
Owner
Occupancy
Approval
Process

58. Sample
Rules for
ADUs

59. ADU Code Ingredients
• Definition, Purpose
• Eligibility
– Zoning categories, lot sizes, …
– Geographic locations allowed (be careful on equity and fair
housing issues)
• Creation
– Addition, Conversion, New construction, Reclassifying existing
small home
– Since lots vary significantly, flexible creation rules mean there’s
some way to create an ADU on nearly every eligible lot
• Quantity
– Typically One or Two

60. ADU Code Ingredients
• Occupancy and Use
– Match rules that apply to single family homes re: home based
businesses, short term rentals, owner-occupancy…
• Design Standards
– Size & Height (800 – 1,200 sq ft living area w/ basement conversion
exception; 18’-25 height’)
– Parking (0 or 1 space; sometimes allow street parking out front to count)
– Appearance (roof shape, siding, trim, window proportions; exceptions)
– Entrances and stairs
• Additional rules for detached ADUs
– Location on the lot
– Setbacks to property lines, alleys
– Building coverage
• Approval process
– As-of right vs. Conditional use

61. Even with
supportive
regulations, not a
lot of ADUs get
built because…

62. Common Barriers to ADU Development
1.Regulatory
2.Education
3.Capital Costs

63. Who Builds ADUs?
Amateur homeowner developers

64. It’s not Easy!
Obstacles ADU builders must
Overcome
1. Regulations, Fees, Telling their neighbors,
Discretionary processes
2. Climbing the learning curve (zoning, building codes)
3. ADUs aren’t cheap, and financing options are
limited (Cash & HELOCs)
4. Inefficiencies of scale: No scalable/production model
(at least not yet)
5. Becoming a landlord – or being that close to family -
isn’t for everyone

65. ADU Advocacy & Education

66. Tours!

67. Political Advocacy
Find local leaders who love ADUs.
Keep track of who owns, lives in, designs & builds ADUs. They’re your
best advocates!

68. Local Media

69. Research! Data Matters
(especially for decision-makers)
Year ADU(count
1995 10
1996 3
1997 7
1998 26
1999 32
2000 26
2001 30
2002 25
2003 30
2004 39
2005 30
2006 38
2007 38
2008 31
2009 26
2010 74
2011 122
2012 151
2013 178
2014 224
2015 388
2016 551
2017 321
City of Portland
Martin Brown, Analysis of Oregon DEQ survey data
Jordan Palmeri, Oregon DEQ

70. Print and On-line
Educational Materials

71. AccessoryDwellings.org
Includes:
•Case studies
•Videos
•Tour info
•Zoning code
•Appraisal guide
•Financing guide
•Research

72. Importance of Buzz
(especially for homeowners)

73. •Program Guide
•Zoning codes
•Building codes
•Fees
•Utilities
•Permit sets
Post local rules for ADUs on-line

74. • City-sponsored “lunch & learn” sessions (free)
• Private consults by local ADU experts (paid)
• Realtor trainings (continuing education credit)
• 1-day ADU seminar for home owners (paid)
Conduct ADU trainings/classes

75. Portland’s ADU Story
Re:PDX.com blog post

76. Portland’s ADU History
ADUs permitted per year & Applicable Regulations
0"
100"
200"
300"
400"
500"
600"
700"
1991"1992"1993"1994"1995"1996"1997"1998"1999"2000"2001"2002"2003"2004"2005"2006"2007"2008"2009"2010"2011"2012"2013"2014"2015"2016"2017"2018"
1996 - 2009
ALLOWED
BY RIGHT
NO OFF
STREET
PARKING
NO
MINIMUM
LOT SIZE
SIZE CAP:
PRIMARY
HOUSE
“A”
OVERLAY
ZONE
ONLY
INTERNAL
CONVERSION
ONLY
OWNER
OCCUPANCY
DESIGN
COMPATIBILITY
ALLOWED
CITY-WIDE
TYPES:
INTERNAL
ADDITIONS
DETACHED
CAN
RENT
BOTH
UNITS
IMPACT
FEES
50%
SIZE CAP
33% / 800SF
ADU Blast Off ??

77. Portland’s ADU History
ADUs permitted per year & Applicable Regulations
0"
100"
200"
300"
400"
500"
600"
700"
1991"1992"1993"1994"1995"1996"1997"1998"1999"2000"2001"2002"2003"2004"2005"2006"2007"2008"2009"2010"2011"2012"2013"2014"2015"2016"2017"2018"
2015 - 2016
ALLOWED
BY RIGHT
NO OFF
STREET
PARKING
NO
MINIMUM
LOT SIZE
DESIGN
COMPATIBILITY
ALLOWED
CITY-WIDE
TYPES:
INTERNAL
ADDITIONS
DETACHED
CAN
RENT
BOTH
UNITS
IMPACT
FEES
50%
SIZE CAP
75% / 800SF
IMPACT
FEES
WAIVED
DESIGN
COMPATIBILITY

78. What’s New with ADUs?

79. 1. New Financial Products and
Appraisal Guidelines

80. 2. Cost saving strategies:
Inexpensive, production models

81. Prefabricated ADUs

82. Dweller Wolf Tiny Homes
Shelter Solutions

83. 3. Separating ownership to
create affordable starter homes
Sabin Green
Woodstock Gardens
Applewood Corner Everett Custom homes ADU
Waterlily Homes (Austin, TX)
Waterlily Homes (Austin, TX)

84. Sabin Green

85. Sabin Green

86. Applewood Corner Condo

87. Applewood Corner

88. Applewood Corner

89. 4. Affordable ADU Pilots
West Denver,
CO

90. Los Angeles, CA

91. Silicon Valley in CA

92. 5. Supportive Regulations at the
City, Regional and State level
State ADU
Mandates
• Oregon
• Washington
• New Hampshire
• California
• Vermont
• Washington, DC
Regional ADU
Initiatives
• Chicago area
• Bay Area, CA
• Boston area
• Atlanta area
• Washington, DC area

93. More cities allow both an internal
and detached ADU
• Vancouver, BC
• Tigard, OR
• Seattle, WA
• Sonoma County, CA
• Fayetteville, AR
Cities welcome ADUs
Cities (and some entire states) drop
owner-occupancy and off street parking
requirements

94. 19,000+ incorporated
jurisdictions in the US, each
with their own zoning code!
But still a long way to go...

95. 5. Rethinking Single Family Zoning
• 2018: Minneapolis updated its
comprehensive plan to allow three-
family homes on any residential lot
• 2019: Oregon passed HB 2001,
which requires all cities over a certain
size to allow duplexes, triplexes,
fourplexes and/or cottages clusters in
all residential zones

96. Additional Resources

97. AccessoryDwellings.org
Includes:
•Case studies
•Videos
•Tour info
•Zoning code
•Appraisal guide
•Financing guide
•Research

98. Making the case for a more diverse housing stock

99. www.orangesplot.net/rese
arch/
Accessory
Dwelling Units
Internal Home
Conversions
Cottage
Clusters
Corner
Duplexes

100. Choices
Will we create small housing
opportunities for residents of
all ages?
Will we support diverse
neighborhoods – or
perpetuate the national
trend towards economic
segregation?

101. OrangeSplot.net
Eli Spevak
eli@orangesplot.net

102. Bonus Slides

103. Zoning Codes: The ADU Spectrum
• Pre-existing ADUs cease to be legal if not
continuously occupied
• Pre-existing ADUs are allowed, but no new
ones
• New ADUs are allowed, but closely regulated
• New ADUs encouraged, sometimes 2x lot

104. Portland’s Residential Infill Project
(RIP)

105. Vermont
(2005)

106. California