Accessory Dwelling Units (ADUs)

Overview

Housing challenges across the State of Utah provide important context for why Accessory Dwelling Units (ADUs) matter. Several Utah counties, including Utah, Washington, and Cache County, have consistently ranked among the fastest growing counties in the nation. Additionally, median home prices across the state have increased dramatically in recent years, placing the American dream of homeownership out of reach for many moderate income households.

Accessory Dwelling Units (ADUs) are becoming a popular choice among Utah’s communities, especially those communities working diligently to meet the requirements of the State’s affordable housing mandate. ADUs are one of the few tools local governments can deploy immediately, without significant capital expenditure or infrastructure expansion, allowing for meaningful expansion of housing supply in established neighborhoods. In addition to providing a relatively simple solution for creating more affordable housing units, ADUs can also make it easier for a community’s residents to take care of aging relatives, support adult children, and supplement their household income by renting out extra space in their home.

ADUs specially address Utah’s affordable housing mandate by:

• Creating naturally affordable housing units without reliance on or need for government subsidies;
• Utilizing existing infrastructure to increase housing supply;
• Providing flexible housing options which can adapt to a variety of family needs being experienced throughout Utah’s communities and the nation as a whole;
• Allowing density increases to occur in incremental steps in traditional single-family neighborhoods while preserving a neighborhood’s existing identity and character; and
• Allowing homeowners to generate rental income, making home ownership more affordable.

While it’s true that ADUs can provide many benefits in our great state, local policymakers can also inadvertently create problems within their communities when ADUs are not properly planned for. Problems which typically arise notably are those commonly associated with higher density residential development (i.e. encroachments, noise, parking, and traffic), which makes sense given that a community is in essence doubling the number of allowed dwelling units within an existing single family zoning district when they choose to allow for ADU development.

Content Contributors: Jones and DeMille Engineering, Inc, Hansen Planning Group, LLC / Rural Community Consultants   

Special Note:  This material was developed by civiclinQ for the Land Use Academy of Utah (LUAU).  Funding for the development of this material was provided by through the Land Use Training Fund, which is administered by the Office of the Property Rights Ombudsman , utilizing a portion of the 1% surcharge on all building permits in the State of Utah.

The role of this organization in administering funding is primarily administrative and should not be viewed as legal advice. Always consult your legal representative when addressing land use activities.

Use the ‘Materials’ tab above to view related course materials, including printable pass-along card and PDF version of this online course.