Yes, You Can Build Your Way to Affordable Housing (lease, loans)

[rickms]

is a shortage of home the issue, rather than just "new" homes?

Yes, of course new homes are the way to increase the housing supply, but that opens up what new homes are built and often they are not affordable.

[arjay57]

It would be nice if the taxpayers who foot the bill for this city get to weigh in before we turn the developers loose on our beautiful single family neighborhoods. Many residents have invested many years of blood, sweat and toil into their homes. They continue to work hard to keep them up, to support their communities and to provide a high quality living experience for their families, hopefully with a place for their vehicles and little bit of ER. Not everybody wants a bunch of zero lot line, low cost rental housing jammed willy-nilly into their backyards and those of their neighbors.

[AnsleyPark]

Originally Posted by arjay57

It would be nice if the taxpayers who foot the bill for this city get to weigh in before we turn the developers loose on our beautiful single family neighborhoods. Many residents have invested many years of blood, sweat and toil into their homes. They continue to work hard to keep them up, to support their communities and to provide a high quality living experience for their families, hopefully with a place for their vehicles and little bit of ER. Not everybody wants a bunch of zero lot line, low cost rental housing jammed willy-nilly into their backyards and those of their neighbors.

Amen, arjay! Amen.

[samiwas1]

I am seeing a huge number of Pittsburgh houses, mostly in dreadful shape, hitting the market. Definitely some investors starting to unload their portfolios of houses they've held onto for years while doing absolutely nothing with them. One hit my email today that looked like a squatters den. Has been owned by the current owner for about three years. Looks like it hasn't been touched in 15 years.

[cqholt]

Originally Posted by arjay57

It would be nice if the taxpayers who foot the bill for this city get to weigh in before we turn the developers loose on our beautiful single family neighborhoods. Many residents have invested many years of blood, sweat and toil into their homes. They continue to work hard to keep them up, to support their communities and to provide a high quality living experience for their families, hopefully with a place for their vehicles and little bit of ER. Not everybody wants a bunch of zero lot line, low cost rental housing jammed willy-nilly into their backyards and those of their neighbors.

Then those residents don't have to build ADUs or sell. I doubt there will be spot rezoning, but people need to get involved if they want to be heard.
Many of our historic intown SFH neighborhoods are large garages swallow up backyards. Why not add a floor to the garage or replace the garage with an ADU and lease it out to college students, teachers, restaurant workers, etc who are single or have a small family? That's how we make a dent in the affordability crisis.

[brown_dog_us]

Originally Posted by cqholt

..., but people need to get involved if they want to be heard.

Most homeowners don't get involved and have no interest in zoning/permitting issues. They tend to use local elections as their chance to be heard.

[stoxdiamond]

Originally Posted by cqholt

Then those residents don't have to build ADUs or sell. I doubt there will be spot rezoning, but people need to get involved if they want to be heard.
Many of our historic intown SFH neighborhoods are large garages swallow up backyards. Why not add a floor to the garage or replace the garage with an ADU and lease it out to college students, teachers, restaurant workers, etc who are single or have a small family? That's how we make a dent in the affordability crisis.

I don't think a lot of people can come up with the capital to afford building ADUs. Also, a lot of people purchase single family homes to have their own private space, and may be unwilling to have someone else live on their property.

Even if homeowners had the means to build one and rent it out, is that even a worthwhile investment? Using the 1% guideline for rents, a $200,000 detached ADU would have to bring in $2000/month to be enticing to homeowners. I suppose if this is the route the city really wanted to take, they could maybe subsidize this cost a lot.

Doesn't seem like homeowners would go out of their way to do this, but perhaps they might if the alternative is to see an apartment complex go up next door.

[AnsleyPark]

Originally Posted by cqholt

Many of our historic intown SFH neighborhoods are large garages swallow up backyards. Why not add a floor to the garage or replace the garage with an ADU and lease it out to college students, teachers, restaurant workers, etc who are single or have a small family? That's how we make a dent in the affordability crisis.

Why would someone do that? No way I would have a renter living in my backyard. Most folks wouldn't. There is no affordability "crisis." A crisis is when N. Korea launches a nuke to our west coast.

[red92s]

Originally Posted by cqholt

Then those residents don't have to build ADUs or sell. I doubt there will be spot rezoning, but people need to get involved if they want to be heard.
Many of our historic intown SFH neighborhoods are large garages swallow up backyards. Why not add a floor to the garage or replace the garage with an ADU and lease it out to college students, teachers, restaurant workers, etc who are single or have a small family? That's how we make a dent in the affordability crisis.

By the time you pour a driveway, run water/gas/plumbing/electrical, pay the city, build a garage and add a one bedroom or studio apartment with climate control and a reasonable kitchen/bath build-out, you are probably pretty easily into the $75k range. A lot of homeowners don't necessarily have the financial resources to take on a project like that, even if they wanted to have someone living in their backyard. Everyone makes a stink about the current zoning regulations largely preventing them from being built, but that sort of ignores the fact that if the ordinances were changed there isn't some critical mass of people with the motivation and cash to do so. Not saying there isn't a need for those zoning changes, just that there wouldn't be a goldrush of ADU construction if they were eased.

Honestly with as much new construction taking place in many of these neighborhoods, an approach like LaFrance Walk makes more sense to add smaller more affordable units, since you take advantage of the construction activities that are going to occur regardless of what is built to bring them into reality.
https://atlanta.curbed.com/2017/12/5...cket-community

[cqholt]

Offer low interest loans to homeowners to build ADUs with the terms that it be leased out and not AirBnB'd.
Making the zoning change at least gives homeowners the option to build ADUs if they choose to. I love how so many of y'all assume you know what "most homeowners" think. Right now if they wanted to do it, it's illegal in 98% of the city limits.
Let's be honest, there is NOTHING affordable about LaFrance Walk.