In November, Sightline housing researcher Margaret Morales spoke on a panel at the Build Small Live Large Summit in Portland. Her presentation focused on eliminating policy barriers to building backyard cottages and mother-in-law units in Cascadia.
State and local regulations restrict the development of accessory dwelling units (ADUs), ultimately impeding the development of a housing solution that helps affordability and growth-management issues. In the video below, panelists discuss land-use regulations, fees, and permitting standards that restrict ADU development, and share politically viable solutions to knock down these barriers. (Margaret’s remarks begin at the 2:35 mark.)
Panelists include: Margaret Morales, Sightline Institute; Madeline Kovacs, Portland for Everyone; Eli Spevak, Orange Splot, LLC; and Harriet Tregoning, Former Office of Community Planning and Development, US Department of Housing and Urban Development.
You can also view Margaret’s complete slide deck here. (View Madeline Kovac’s slides here and Harriet Tregoning’s slides here.)
Check out our research on ADUs and tiny homes below:
- Why Vancouver Trounces the Rest of Cascadia in Building ADUs. And how Portland and Seattle could play some serious catch-up.
- ADUs and Don’ts. The gauntlet of rules that in-law and cottage units must run.
- Legalizing the Tiny House. Bringing rogue housing in from the cold.
- Seattle’s Single-Family Neighborhoods Already Include Thousands of Duplexes. New map reveals nearly 10,000 ‘plex and ADU homes in the city’s most coveted, contentious, and opportunity-rich areas.
- Returning Seattle to Its Roots in Diverse Housing Types. Multi-family historic housing exceptions provide homes in opportunity-rich neighborhoods for more than 12,000 Seattleites today.
- Not in YOUR Backyard: Cottages, In-law Apartments, and the Predatory Delay of HALA’s ADU Rules. Abuse of a 1971 environmental law is displacing hundreds of low-income families from Seattle this year.
