Do grannies really get a chance for a better roof over there heads in Pasadena?

Larry Wilson, editor of our local STAR NEWs wrote on Dec. 20, 2017, “Will this granny flat business not ever go away?

No, it will not, or at least not until we get granny — or those Art Center and Caltech students you know in need of a place to stay, that brother-in-law with health issues, along with all the other single people you know in need of cheaper housing in this crazy-expensive market — into her flat.

This past January, the state Legislature’s Senate Bill 1069 went into effect, easing regulations on what are also called accessory dwelling units, or ADUs: Secondary units built on the same lot as a single-family home, including legally converted garages, guest houses, or, yes, smaller units with their own kitchens within an existing home.

The state law eases some regulations on granny flats by removing onerous parking restrictions, adjusting fire-sprinkler requirements, not adding new water and sewage fees and increasing the maximum allowed size of a granny flat.

But when it comes to housing and other planning laws, California cities are deservedly famous for simply ignoring what Sacramento says”….

… read on to find out how Pasadena voted on Dec 11th …./Grannies get a chance for a better roof over their heads

In this article you will see how God is answering our prayers.  I thank God for City Council member Margaret McAustin’s change of heart on Granny flats…or ADUs–Accessory Dwelling Units as they are now called. It is my prayer that others will follow her good example.  Margaret supported permanent supportive housing for the homeless in her district–now this great support for ADUs!

Bill Huang, our housing director, would like to start a pilot program with low cost loans for ADUs in exchange for  Section 8–but this won’t work with the high fees that we have, between $25,00 and $31,00 for an 600 sf unit! These are only the fees–no construction costs!  With 1.5 million housing units short in CA–we can do better than this to incentivize the private market to help meet this urgent need. Please pray with us as we research, meet with other council members and more. The vote on our fees should be Feb. 26. Stay posted, more to come on ADUs. Jill