Study Architecture 
ProPEL 
Author(s): Rob Williams & Ray Mann
Accessory dwelling units (ADUs) have emerged as a critical com¬ponent of policy proposals to address the ongoing housing crisis in the United States. Particularly in urban and suburban neighborhoods that have traditionally been zoned for single-family residences, advocates argue that ADUs provide needed housing diversity and density without dramatically impacting neighborhood character.1,2 While California and Oregon have led the way on ADU policy, many municipalities in the Northeastern United States have recently revised local ordinances to allow, and sometimes even encourage, ADU development.3 Most significantly, the Massachusetts Affordable Homes Act, signed into law in August 2024, permits ADU development by-right in all single-family zoning in the state.4 It also curtails local municipalities capacity to limit ADU development by restricting owner-occupancy and added parking requirements. Prior to the passing of this law – and despite increasingly permissive zoning regulations in many municipalities – the actual construction of ADUs in the region has been quite limited.
https://doi.org/10.35483/ACSA.AM.113.92
Volume Editors
Sara Jensen Carr & Rubén García Rubio
ISBN
978-1-944214-48-7
