HOUSINGNEWS REPORT
THE PROMISE AND PITFALLS OF ACCESSORY DWELLING UNITS AS AN AFFORDABLE HOUSING PANACEA
agrees that zoning limitations are a hurdle to more affordable housing inventory in the region. “Without a doubt Seattle has an issue,” said Gardner, noting that 68 percent of the city is zoned as single family. “That might have been appropriate in the 1980s. Is it appropriate now? Absolutely not.”
which he noted the city of Seattle is proposing — will significantly solve the housing inventory and affordability problems the area is facing. “If it offers any help at all, it’s going to be de minimis. Every little bit helps but I don’t see it as any form of panacea,” he said, adding that more aggressive zoning changes that allow for much denser housing development is more likely to make an impact. “You can put five or six single family homes on an
acre if you can find it. Or you can put 18 to 22 townhomes. … We’ve got to densify the land.” Stacked Development in Portland Justin Grubb, the Portland real estate investor and developer, said market forces have pushed him to denser development. His company started out several years ago with fix-and- flips of existing properties, then moved to new construction, tearing down properties and rebuilding them as luxury homes. But he found the nearly million-dollar price points on those homes were getting too rich for buyers. “When you sit on a million-dollar property for a few months waiting for a buyer, you get a little nervous,” he said, noting that he was building on lots zoned R-1, which allow for as many as 1 unit for every 1,000 square feet.
But Gardner doesn’t believe streamlining ADU development —
“Every little bit helps but I don’t see (ADUs) as any form of panacea. You can put five or six single family homes on an acre if you can find it. Or you can put 18 to 22 townhomes. …We’ve got to densify the land.”
MATTHEW GARDNER CHIEF ECONOMIST, WINDERMERE REAL ESTATE SEATTLE, WASHINGTON
SINGLE FAMILY SHARE OF TOTAL PROPERTIES
76%
ATLANTA DETOROIT MINNEAPOLIS-ST.PAUL PORTLAND DALLAS-FORT WORTH
70% 70% 70%
69%
68% 68%
PHOENIX SEATTLE RIVERSIDE-SAN BERNARDINO SAN FRANCISCO ST. LOUIS HOUSTON PITTSBURGH
67% 67%
66% 66%
64%
63%
LOS ANGELES PHILADELPHIA NEW YORK TAMPA WASHINGTON, D.C. CHICAGO U.S. TOTAL BOSTON MIAMI
62%
61%
60%
58%
57%
55%
54%
46%
8
MARCH 2018 | ATTOM DATA SOLUTIONS
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