Omaha is addressing its housing crisis with a new type of home known as accessory dwelling units.An ADU is an additional unit on a residential property that can take several forms. A zoning amendment expected to reach city council next year is already sending people back to square one.”It sounded like a fun little project I could take on, but it was a bit more,” said Nele Sudar, who tried to build an ADU for his parents. He says they downsized homes instead. Omaha needs about 30,000 housing units by 2030 to provide living options regardless of income, according to the Omaha Housing Affordability Action Plan. The smaller-sized dwellings are expected to add housing and provide affordable options.”Currently, it’s pretty limited on where they are allowed, but that’s a zoning code change we can make,” city housing manager Greg Paskach said.The expected amendment modifies regulations at city hall. It also limits one ADU per property site, prevents people from selling them off, and is subject to homeowners associations — according to a city document.A detached garage has taken shape in the Elmwood Park neighborhood. Juan Sanchez spent a little more than a year converting a space into what feels like an apartment. “We are feeling right now we’re accomplishing something not just for us, also for the city, like we are adding our grain of sand to make this more feasible for others,” Sanchez said.He says building it for his parents was the easy part, after he got through the city’s current permitting process.AARP Nebraska awarded architects who built frameworks for people taking on their own projects. The designs are now eligible for the city of Omaha’s new fast-track permitting program.The city says only a handful of people have built them in Omaha since 2020, when a new transit-oriented development code encouraged ADUs. City planning officials will consider the amendment in early December. Then, it’s expected to appear in front of the city council in February or March.Get the latest headlines from KETV NewsWatch 7
Omaha is addressing its housing crisis with a new type of home known as accessory dwelling units.
An ADU is an additional unit on a residential property that can take several forms. A zoning amendment expected to reach city council next year is already sending people back to square one.
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“It sounded like a fun little project I could take on, but it was a bit more,” said Nele Sudar, who tried to build an ADU for his parents. He says they downsized homes instead.
Omaha needs about 30,000 housing units by 2030 to provide living options regardless of income, according to the Omaha Housing Affordability Action Plan. The smaller-sized dwellings are expected to add housing and provide affordable options.
“Currently, it’s pretty limited on where they are allowed, but that’s a zoning code change we can make,” city housing manager Greg Paskach said.
The expected amendment modifies regulations at city hall. It also limits one ADU per property site, prevents people from selling them off, and is subject to homeowners associations — according to a city document.
A detached garage has taken shape in the Elmwood Park neighborhood. Juan Sanchez spent a little more than a year converting a space into what feels like an apartment.
“We are feeling right now we’re accomplishing something not just for us, also for the city, like we are adding our grain of sand to make this more feasible for others,” Sanchez said.
He says building it for his parents was the easy part, after he got through the city’s current permitting process.
AARP Nebraska awarded architects who built frameworks for people taking on their own projects. The designs are now eligible for the city of Omaha’s new fast-track permitting program.
The city says only a handful of people have built them in Omaha since 2020, when a new transit-oriented development code encouraged ADUs. City planning officials will consider the amendment in early December. Then, it’s expected to appear in front of the city council in February or March.