Allowing Accessory Apartments: Key Issues for Local Officials.
Author(s):
Goldman, Ellis G.
Hodges, Samuel J.
Publication Date:
7/1/1983
Sponsoring Organization(s):
U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development Washington, DC
Performing Organization(s):
Metropolitan Action Inst. New York,
Availability:
HUD USER, P.O. Box 23268, Washington, DC 20026-3268; phone (800) 245-2691; fax (202) 708-9981; or TDD (800) 927-7589
Notes:
Descriptors:
Accessory apartments. Local planning. Local government. Housing for the elderly.
Abstract:
Accessory apartments are one solution to demographic trends creating increased demand for small, affordable housing units, particularly by the elderly and other groups with low or fixed incomes. They make better use of existing housing, help maintain the property, cause minimal disruption to the neighborhood, encourage a multigenerational population, do not involve large local expenditures, provide income to financially pressed homeowners, enhance the tax base, and provide opportunities for improved government control of housing. However, citizens are often concerned that accessory apartments will place an unacceptable burden on the infrastructure and local services and hurt property values. The paper describes innovative ways that local governments have addressed these concerns through zoning, regulations, and surveys. It reviews four basic methods by which a community can permit and regulate accessory apartments: zoning ordinance, special - use permit, variance, and licensing. Also discussed are guidelines for designing regulations, monitoring and enforcement activities, and methods to build public support for legalizing accessory apartments. The appendices contain a description of the experience of Babylon, N.Y. with accessory apartments, a list of local contacts, and 18 references.
| 
