Mayor Sam Liccardo wants San Jose to be a leader when it comes to accessory dwelling units
- San Jose Spotlight (January 20, 2020)
Last year was a big year for accessory dwelling units — or “granny units” — in San Jose, where the number of people seeking to build the little backyard homes nearly doubled from 2018, and the number permitted to start construction grew even faster.
Recent San Jose data shows that 695 applications for new ADUs were received by the city in 2019, compared to 350 the year before. Meanwhile, 416 ADU projects were granted permits to move forward last year, which is more than twice the number of permits issued in 2018.
“There are a few reasons (for the increases),” said James Son, San Jose’s planning deputy director. “I think one of the biggest factors would be the ADU ordinance — we relaxed some of the ADU ordinance that related to what can be built, the height, the setback and all those kinds of things.”
Indeed, in an attempt to alleviate the housing shortage, San Jose has launched several initiatives, updated its rules for ADU buildings twice and embraced new state laws over the past few years to make the complex process of building a backyard home easier, particularly for people who want to create a single new residential unit in their backyard.
The average rent for a granny unit in the South Bay is around $1,850 per month...
Read more: https://sanjosespotlight.com/san-jose-permits-for-granny-units-spiked-last-year-but-2020-may-be-bigger/
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