Walk to a single family home in Miami with an extra driveway or do a quick search through craigslist and it won’t take long to find a guesthouse, efficiency, or other secondary unit available for rent on residential land.
For years, these so-called “accessory dwelling units (ADUs)” have been illegal and operated on the sly in much of Miami-Dade County, but a proposed new resolution seeks to legitimize them in some communities around the to address the affordable housing crisis.
“Our community has always naturally had an entrepreneurial spirit where people tend to solve their own problems without involving the government,” said County Commissioner Raquel Regalado, who sponsored the article on the September 1 committee agenda. “So what we’re trying to do is basically formalize those housing options in a way that will help protect affordability and neighborhoods without changing the character of them.”
The proposed ordinance would change the county’s zoning code to allow attached or detached residential units on the same lot as a single-family home, including guest homes and efficiencies with separate kitchens, bathrooms and sleeping areas . The measure would only apply to unincorporated areas overseen by the county and would have no effect in incorporated municipalities.
According to the county’s analysis, up to 171,683 single-family properties outside of city limits are eligible to build an ADU on their lot or create one in an existing home.
The bill, which has the support of County Mayor Daniella Levine Cavacomes at a time when Miami leads the pack for least affordable places to liveand new affordable housing is not being built fast enough.
Proponents of the ordinance hope an influx of accessory units for rent will provide a cheaper alternative to stock rental apartments that routinely cost more than $1,600 a month.
The article also claims to be a boon for cost-stricken homeowners.
“ADUs may also create opportunities for landlords to reduce their housing costs by providing them with the ability to generate rental income from existing space on their land or in their primary residences,” the order states.
Although accessory units have come under scrutiny from municipalities because they are often built surreptitiously and without safety inspections or permits, housing advocates and even the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) have found that they were a solution to combat suburban sprawl and provide labor. accommodation.
“Secondary suites provide a variety of benefits to communities. They help increase a community’s housing supply, and because they cost less than a new single-family home on a separate lot, they are a housing option affordable for many low-income and resident-income households,” it reads. a 2008 HUD case study on the benefits of ADUs.
Cities across the United States instituted ADU ordinances to license and regulate accessory units from Lexington, Massachusetts, to Santa Cruz, California. In 2004, the Florida Legislature passed Florida Status 163.31771 promote local government approval for the construction of accessory units.
Of course, with county approval comes additional regulation.
The ordinance would require anyone building an accessory unit to apply for a certificate of use and pay an inspection fee, as well as notify their homeowners association of the application – all of which could be more costly and time-consuming than ask your guy who knows a guy to close and drywall your garage. The guidelines also apply to existing accessory units that have hitherto been excluded from the books.
“If the criteria for the order are met, there could be consistent efficiencies. If they lease [out] space, they will need to obtain an annual certificate of use and pay a fee,” says Regalado New times.
Short-term vacation rentals from accessory units such as Airbnbs would also be prohibited under the order.
The item will be subject to a preliminary vote at the committee meeting on 1 September. It will be forwarded to the committees of the commission for further development if approved.
Comments are closed.