The Register: California Already Created the Tools for Us to Tackle the Housing Crisis

In following with the sentiments outlined in “Solving Our Housing Crisis One Garage at a Time” (April 9, 2020) by John McNellis, I, too, look around my neighborhood and imagine the potential of existing underused spaces and garages to house people. What I’d like to clarify is that Mr. McNellis’ call for by-right Accessory Dwelling Units (ADU) has already been answered. These conversions are now legal throughout California thanks to landmark by-right ADU laws signed by the Governor in 2017 and 2020 that address our housing crisis. Today, ADUs are also proving a powerful solution to housing during the COVID pandemic.