Accessory Dwelling Units: Answering Housing Needs in Southern Oregon

When the Almeda Fire swept through Southern Oregon’s Rogue Valley in 2020, it destroyed thousands of homes, exacerbating an already tight rental market and creating a housing crisis. In Medford Estates, gutted homes were left in its wake.

Local artist and contractor Jacob Fry, along with his wife Elize, avoided the flames but felt compelled to assist those who lost their homes. They decided to build two small rental units in their yard, not for income but to provide much-needed housing for displaced families. Jacob emphasized that the project was driven by the community’s need.

These units are known as Accessory Dwelling Units (ADUs). They are small, fully-functional secondary homes situated on the same property as a main residence. Reforms have streamlined the process of building ADUs, making it more affordable and legally manageable to create these units. Jacob and Elize have rented their ADUs to young families new to the housing market.

“It was more about the community and needing infill housing for people that had been displaced,” Jacob said.

In California, laws now allow at least three modest-sized units on a single-family lot to be used for long-term rentals, not short-term options like Airbnb. Dana Cuff, a professor of Architecture and Urban Design at UCLA, noted the law’s significant impact on California’s housing sector, citing 82,000 building permits currently active.

Speaking from her backyard ADU, Dana Cuff described the transformation. Once dominated by a lackluster citrus tree and a children’s treehouse, her backyard now accommodates her ADU, designed by her husband to fit their elongated lot.

Despite resistance from those who worry about infrastructure strains, such as parking and sewer systems, the benefits of infill ADUs are undeniable, particularly after catastrophic events like the Oregon fires.

Jacob Fry humorously likened the project’s challenge to assembling IKEA furniture, noting that building an ADU was an ultimate test of marriage.

While financially challenging, the ADUs have nearly covered their costs as Fry and his wife rent them below market value. Their current tenants, young newlyweds, benefit from affordable housing that might otherwise be unattainable. Elize noted the compact but functional nature of their ADUs.

Kaetriauna Bowser-Smith and Jared Weber have lived in a 400-square-foot ADU with their daughter for several years. Despite exploring other housing options, they found nothing comparable in the market.

Elsewhere in Los Angeles, Mona Field, at 72, converted her garage into a two-bedroom ADU for herself. It serves as her retirement home while she offers her main house to her daughter and family. This arrangement allows for shared resources and regular family interactions.

Professor Dana Cuff highlighted the evolving need for housing over cars, emphasizing the importance of adapting suburban spaces to meet housing demands.

“We have to start imagining new ways of living together well,” Dana Cuff said.