Experts say that to help alleviate the chronic affordability crisis in California, single-family homeowners should be allowed to convert their garages into accessory dwelling units (ADUs).
Writing for CityLab, urban planning experts say that about 400,000 single-family homes in L.A. have a two-car garage that could be converted into an apartment. In 2018, Los Angeles issued 4,171 permits for second units, 36 for every one issued in 2016, before the passage of California's ADU reform law.
Due to severe shortages of affordable housing, more Americans than ever are bedding down inside their vehicles: In Los Angeles County, home to the country’s greatest number of unsheltered homeless people, more than 15,000 individuals live in cars, vans, and mobile homes.
Meanwhile, across the U.S., there are more homes with three-car garages being constructed than there are one-bedroom apartments. Imagine if this logic were flipped.
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