Bridging Housing Gaps with ADUs: A Nonprofit-Driven Initiative
In the heart of Silicon Valley, where the housing crisis is particularly acute, Casita Coalition’s ADU Nonprofit Learning Circle—made possible through funding from the Silicon Valley Community Foundation—united a group of housing advocates to tackle this challenge head-on. Through a series of dynamic 2024 sessions, nonprofit leaders and changemakers collaborated to champion Accessory Dwelling Units (ADUs) as an important part of the solution to the region's housing crisis. The learning circle culminated in an in-person gathering and showroom tour of Casita Coalition member Samara, in Redwood City–central to both San Mateo and Santa Clara counties.
Building Bridges Through Collaboration
The ADU Nonprofit Learning Circle brought together an impressive cohort of participants representing a diverse array of organizations, each committed to tackling the San Francisco Bay Area's housing inequities. Attendees included leaders from Hello Housing, the Housing Endowment and Regional Trust of San Mateo County (HEART), the Day Worker Center of Mountain View, Soup, Tentmakers Inc., Housing Leadership Council of San Mateo County, San Mateo ADU Resource Center, and EPA Can Do, among others. These passionate advocates shared strategies, challenges, and insights, creating a rich environment of collaboration and innovation.
Participants contributed to critical questions including: How can we overcome financing barriers for homeowners? What innovative partnerships can we forge to expand ADU accessibility for historically underserved communities? How might ADUs and Community Land Trusts work together to maximize the potential of existing properties? Through robust discussions, the learning circle highlighted both the complexities and transformative potential of ADUs.
Tackling the Barriers to ADU Development
The sessions emphasized practical solutions to pervasive barriers, such as high utility connection fees, permitting delays, challenges in financing, and the critical role of nonprofits in homeowner education and project management.
Financing emerged as a top priority throughout the Learning Circle’s engagements. Many homeowners in the Bay Area lack the upfront capital needed for ADU projects. Participants explored creative funding solutions, such as partnerships with philanthropic organizations and leveraging programs like the Cal Home initiative. The group also discussed how affordability covenants and insurance options could be better tailored to make ADUs viable for lower-income households.
A Transformative Tour: The Samara Showroom
The series concluded with a personalized tour of Samara’s Redwood City-based showroom. Samara specializes in designing, building and installing high quality, prefab and modular ADUs. Its ADU unit, called Backyard, is available in an array of sizes and configurations from a studio to a two bedroom, two bathroom floorplan, depending on a homeowner’s needs.
For many participants, this was a first-hand glimpse into how innovative off-site construction techniques could reduce costs, improve predictability and speed production timelines for ADU projects. Attendees were guided through the details of the production process, witnessing the plans, materials, and efficiency of these factory-built units.
Samara’s experts also shed light on their financing product and logistical nuances of modular ADUs, sparking insightful discussions about how these solutions could be scaled to serve Bay Area communities and beyond, for homeowners and multifamily properties alike. Nonprofit partners also received a thorough presentation on how prefab options could be integrated into their housing strategies, including a sneak peek into new duplex ADU designs.
Impact on the San Francisco Bay Area’s Housing Landscape
“California’s housing crisis demands bold solutions. At Samara, we’re not just building ADUs—we’re creating flexible living spaces that seamlessly integrate with existing properties and communities. Our comprehensive approach, from in-house design and manufacturing, to permitting and financing, empowers homeowners to become part of the solution and unlock the potential of their backyards.”
San Mateo and Santa Clara counties are among the most expensive housing markets in the nation, with median home prices often exceeding $1.5 million. This unaffordability has left many families and individuals—particularly those from historically underserved communities—without viable housing options. ADUs represent a critical lifeline, offering opportunities for multigenerational living, rental income, and more affordable housing options within existing neighborhoods. With the passage of AB 1033 (separate sale of ADUs as condos,) ADUs in cities like San Jose, CA (nestled in Santa Clara County) could also pave the way for entry-level homes, creating a much-needed new pipeline for attainable homeownership.
The learning circle has sparked a powerful ripple effect, energizing the community we built and adding to Casita Coalition’s network of community-based practitioners. Our nonprofit leaders are exploring new collaborations with local governments and financial institutions to fund ADU projects that meet the needs of low-income homeowners.
Inspiring the Movement Forward
The synergy and ideas generated by the ADU Nonprofit Learning Circle are not confined to the 2024 sessions. Learning Circle participants were also awarded scholarships to join a Casita 2025 Academy cohort, providing an in-depth learning experience through our ADU Principles for California course, enriched with real-world applications. Casita Coalition’s commitment to fostering ongoing collaboration remains strong, with plans to continue convening nonprofits, sharing resources, and advocating for policy changes that make middle housing and ADUs broadly available and attainable.
As participants reflected during the Samara showroom tour, the collective effort to overcome barriers to ADU development is not just about building homes—it’s about building a future where everyone has a place to thrive. Our nonprofit learning circle demonstrated the power of bringing diverse voices together to tackle shared challenges and co-envision how ADUs can play a pivotal role in addressing both the local and national housing crises.
Strengthening Local Solutions Through Epic Partnerships
The work of Casita Coalition, funded by the Silicon Valley Community Foundation, underscores that even the most complex challenges can be addressed when communities come together with a shared purpose. We hope the success of this initiative inspires others to take bold steps in reimagining housing in their local regions.
Ruby Vitatoe, Director of Marketing and Communications
Casita Coalition