California

On this resourceful webpage, Opticos provides an overview of the various housing typologies that fall under Missing Middle Housing, including duplexes, fourplexes, cottage courts, townhomes, multiplexes, and triplexes.

Opticos Design founder Daniel Parolek inspired a new movement for housing choice in 2010 when he coined the term “Missing Middle Housing,” a transformative concept that highlights a time-proven and beloved way to provide more housing and more housing choices in sustainable, walkable places.

Key insights:

For each housing type detailed, a sheet of technical specifications including lot size, number of units, and parking spaces is provided.
Idealized specifications are articulated along with a sample site design to display the development potential of each typology.
Each housing type is accompanied by a case study of a completed housing project that conforms to these specifications.

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This Terner Center Brief reflects on municipal planner’s experience with the new suite of laws that have been enacted since 2016 to spur housing development in California.

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The brief provides an overview of new planning, zoning and permitting legislation in the State of California since 2017, including:

The introduction of higher municipal housing targets
Requirements to rezone exclusionary neighbourhoods
Infill supportive legislation including density bonuses and policies enabling ADU development.

This insightful brief from the Terner Center for Housing Innovation was crafted by Bill Fulton, Terner Fellow; David Garcia, Policy Director; Ben Metcalf, Managing Director; Carolina Reid, Faculty Research Advisor; and Truman Braslaw, Graduate Student Researcher.

This resource hub from California ADU (UC Berkeley’s Center for Community Innovation) features best practices for facilitating attached and detached ADU development in light of enabling state legislation passed in California in 2016.

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Highlighted initiatives include:

Introducing pre-approved designs
Providing supportive project financing
Increasing public awareness of new ADU regulations.
Explore spatial visuals of ADU permitting and development in California (2018-2022)
Engage with previous research released by the Center for Community Innovation.

Past work notably includes a jurisdictional scan which grades municipal ADU ordinances based on their compliance with state legislation and use of best practices.

You can access their full suite of resources on their dedicated homepage.

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This report from Casita Coalition delves into key strategies and insights from both developer and municipal planner perspectives in advancing equity strategies as ADUs gain popularity and ease of construction across California.

Exploring Promising Practices for Equality in Housing Development

In the effort to promote equality and increase accessibility to housing options, municipal workers and housing developers are turning to Accessory Dwelling Units (ADUs) as a potential solution. This report from Casita Coalition delves into key strategies and insights from both developer and municipal planner perspectives to advance equity as ADUs gain popularity and ease of construction across California.

Overcoming Challenges & Equity Barriers to Ensure Equal Access to ADUs

Addressing equity barriers is crucial to fostering inclusivity in ADU development. This section examines the common hurdles, including a lack of reliable information, permitting challenges, upfront costs, and homeowner concerns about assuming the role of landlord.

Written for Casita Coalition by Lin Chin of Ground Works Consulting, with support from Jennifer Duffy of Hello Housing, Renee Schomp of Napa Sonoma ADU Center, and Miriam Zuk and Saneta deVuono-powell of Ground Works Consulting.

In July 2023, the Casita Coalition convened a dialogue featuring prominent figures in the field of Accessory Dwelling Units (ADUs) from various regions, including Portland, OR, Vancouver BC, California, Seattle WA, and Montana.

These leaders, pioneers, and innovators shared their insights on the strategies they employed to successfully implement significant ADU and middle housing reforms. In addition, perspectives from advocates in Texas and New York about their ongoing initiatives were shared. Small Housing was represented by Co-Founder Jake Fry, who presented

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What are some of the key steps Government can take to support the delivery of ADUs?

Build a broad coalition across political and other divides.
Talk to other ADU/middle housing reform advocates from cities/states that have been successful to speed learning and avoid pitfalls.
Tailor the messaging based on local values–and always center the human stories.
Raise awareness and gather supporters by offering tours and showing photos of appealing ADUs, ‘plexes, cottage courts and the happy people who live in them.
Passing statewide laws is essential, but prepare for the next barriers after zoning restrictions are removed.

California

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Are you a planner?

Do you have resources to share?

Key insights:

Are you a planner?

Do you have resources to share?

Key insights:

Are you a planner?

Do you have resources to share?

Written for Casita Coalition by Lin Chin of Ground Works Consulting, with support from Jennifer Duffy of Hello Housing, Renee Schomp of Napa Sonoma ADU Center, and Miriam Zuk and Saneta deVuono-powell of Ground Works Consulting.

Are you a planner?

Do you have resources to share?

Are you a planner?

Do you have resources to share?