Accessory Dwelling Units are Fast and Affordable for Backyard
In a recently published newspaper article: “Families Urged to Reconsider Nursing Homes Due to Coronavirus” Barbara Ferrer, Director of the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health, said if people have relatives in nursing facilities they may want to consider bringing them home if they have the ability to care for them, as there are now 121 institutional settings in Los Angeles County such as nursing homes, skilled nursing facilities, assisted living facilities, shelters, jails and prisons — that have had at least one case of Coronavirus.
These are scary times for all of us, but especially for people who are vulnerable such as seniors or those with pre-existing conditions.
Recent State of California laws may make it easier to bring people home – by building an Accessory Dwelling Unit (ADU) in your back yard. These detached ADUs, aka Granny Flats are between 400 and 1,200 sq. ft. and the recent laws allow for faster permitting, shorter setbacks from property line, no additional parking and less impact fees. “Typically we can design, permit and build an ADU with prefabricated construction in 3-4 months” , says Bill Cavanaugh, VP at USModular, Inc. ADUs are a perfect place to house an aging parent or relative or to be used as a rental unit to help pay your mortgage. “Building an ADU with prefabricated construction including homes built to Federal HUD or local building code are less costly to build and less impactful on residents, as the homes can be set on the foundation , typically in one day.” Says Cavanaugh.
With available technology – an ADU could be set up with communication devices to give elderly residents access to you without them having to leave their new home. This will create a sense of privacy and security.
There are many ways to build an Accessory Dwelling Unit – including converting a garage to an ADU, converting a bedroom(s ) inside house to a Junior ADU, traditional site construction for a free standing ADU, and prefabricated construction of a free standing ADU.
Most cities will fast track an ADU application (less than 60 days) to try to help people build these affordable living spaces as Cities in Southern California try to help bring move livable space to areas that are desperate for affordable housing.
Many SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA general contractors and companies like LA-Mas and USModular, Inc. are available to help you navigate the system and choose the right ADU for you.
