DENVER — They're known as granny flats, mother-in-law suites, and backyard cottages. Now, building an accessory dwelling unit (ADU) in neighborhoods across Denver just got a lot easier.
"I think any opportunity we have to increase access to housing for Denverites, we should take it," said Darrel Watson, Denver councilman for District 9.
Watson said that, with the city facing a lack of affordable housing options, ADUs are a step in the right direction.
"One of the things that accessory dwelling units do for, let's say, a parent that lives in Park Hill, they have lived there for two, three generations, and the kids are coming back from college. They can't afford to buy or own in Denver, but an accessory dwelling unit will allow that family to live on the land they have known their entire lives," explained Watson.
With the council's approval Monday night, homeowners will no longer need to go through a rezoning process to get an ADU in their backyard, something that previously Watson said took up to six months.
"That's a tremendous amount of time, personal time for you and your family, and also dollars," said Watson.
This Spring, Robin Kniech, Director of the New Directions in Politics and Public Policy program at CUand former Denver councilmember, published research exploring ADUs and whether they could deliver on the promise of affordability in Colorado.
Kniech believes Denver could see permits to build ADUs rising to 200 to 300 per year.
According to research, more than 80,000 ADUs have been permitted in California since 2016.
The research shows that while ADUs provide somewhat affordable options for Californians, there are still significant barriers, especially for low-income homeowners of color.
In Colorado, Watson is working on tackling those barriers through state grants and other programs that reduce the cost of building the units on single-family lots.
"This is one small step, but I think it will have a big impact on our affordability and our housing crisis throughout the city," Watson said.
Denver7 is committed to making a difference in our community by standing up for what's right, listening, lending a helping hand and following through on promises. See that work in action, in the videos above.