This ain't granny's house anymore

DEQ survey says city's accessory units have found a home

There arent a lot of grannies living in Portland granny flats.

And there arent a lot of mother-in-laws living in local mother-in-law suites, either.

But thats just fine with the Oregon Department of Environmental Quality, which recently completed the first comprehensive survey of accessory dwelling units, as they are officially known.

ADUs, as they are commonly called, are essentially small second homes built on lots with existing homes under certain conditions. Construction is exploding in Portland since the City Council waived development fees for them in 2010.

Despite the conventional wisdom that ADUs are being built for relatives, including aging ones, the DEQ survey found that only 17 percent of the people living in them in Portland are related to the owners. The majority 57 percent were strangers when they moved in.

Whats more, most ADUs 52 percent were built primarily to generate extra income from rent.

And thats all right, says Jordan Palmeri, a DEQ employee who works to reduce the environmentally harmful effects of homes by increasing their efficiency. According to Palmeri, research shows that the greatest benefits result from building small. The smaller the home, the fewer natural resources are consumed by its construction and the fewer greenhouse gases it emits.

Smaller homes have significant environmental benefits compared to other green building strategies. Building small is a very green thing to do, says Palmeri.

More than anything, Palmeri is impressed by the surveys finding that 79 percent of ADUs in Portland are occupied year-round. According to Palmeri, when the City Council first considered encouraging the construction of ADUs, some people worried they would end up being used as garages, workshops or entertainment rooms.

View original post here:
This ain't granny's house anymore