In a move to improve the availability of affordable housing units, the Montgomery County Council unanimously passed a bill that would authorize accessory dwelling units (ADU) in more lots within the county.
ADUs are small secondary dwellings attached to or on the same grounds as a single-family home. Basement or over the garage apartments, backyard cottages, and in-law suites are common examples.
As reported by The Bethesda Beat:
The zoning change will allow the apartments as attached and detached structures in zones where the minimum lot size is 6,000 to 20,000 square feet. The council has been considering the change since the beginning of the year.
Detached ADUs must be limited to 10% of the lot area and no larger than 1,200 square feet of gross floor area. Attached ADUs must be less than 1,200 square feet except when occupying a basement.
According to the article, officials believe the bill could generate an additional 100 ADUs a year as the county faces a need for 38,000 housing units overall in the next decade. The bill received opposition from County Executive Elrich and some community members.
For more information read The Bethesda Beat.
Learn more about affordable housing efforts at the MACo Summer Conference session “Breaking Barriers and Building Consensus Around Affordable Housing.” The session is scheduled for Friday, August 16.
The MACo Summer Conference will be held August 14-17, 2019 at the Roland Powell Convention Center in Ocean City, Maryland. This year’s conference theme is “Winds of Change.”
Learn more about MACo’s Summer Conference:
