People with
disabilities also are unlocking the potential of Accessory Dwelling Units
(ADUs), which are smaller granny flats, carriage houses, converted garages and
other habitable units separate from the main house but on the same lot.
“Communities
find that allowing accessory dwelling units is advantageous in many ways.
In
addition to providing practical housing options for the elderly, disabled,
empty nesters, and young workers, ADUs can provide additional rental income for
homeowners,” said a Case Study prepared for the U.S. Department of Housing and
Urban Development by Sage Computing.
Many older
urban neighborhoods have informal ADUs that — if upgraded to meet local
building codes as safe dwellings — can add to the affordable housing stock in a
community.
Juan Mullerat, founding principal of Miami-based PlusUrbia Design,
lives in the historic Little Havana neighborhood and is a strong advocate for
zoning that allows safe, habitable ADUs.
“ADUs have many positives such as
supplementing the income of the homeowner occupying the main house by renting
out the accessory unit.
For a person with a disability, that rental income can
help cover the staggeringly high cost of adaptations to their home — ramps,
elevators, accessible bathrooms, or even durable medical equipment such as a
power wheelchair or van adapted to transport a wheelchair user,” said Mullerat,
whose Urban Design firm has teamed with the National Trust for Historic
Preservation to create a master plan for Little Havana in Miami.
“Understanding
the inherent advantages of legacy buildings and its ADUs provides a ready-made
solution for affordable homeownership.”
http://www.oncommonground-digital.org/oncommonground/summer_2018_fair_housing_and_more/MobilePagedReplica.action?pm=2&folio=52#pg52
Part 2 tomorrow
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