Waco move to allow ADUs advances amid rental unit shortage – Waco Tribune-Herald

The plan commission first considered the ordinance in March, but pending state legislation allowing ADUs regardless of city zoning stopped the ordinance before it reached the city council.

The state legislation did not advance, and the plan commission considered the ordinance again last month. It did not take action at the time, tabling its public hearing until this week so it could address wording that would have caused problems with code enforcement and future owners once a house with an ADU is sold.

The proposed ordinance allows owners of single-family homes to build an additional living unit on their lot, including a bathroom and kitchen. ADUs, commonly in the form of garage apartments, carriage houses or in-law suites, may only have one bedroom. The owner of the primary residence also must sign an affidavit affirming they will live in either the main or accessory unit while either is being leased.

Owners must have at least one off-street parking space for the ADU. The ADU’s exterior design must be complementary to the primary residence.

ADUs could be the key to housing infill and affordable housing as Waco battles a shortage of more than 4,500 rental units.

According to Waco’s ordinance, ADUs provide alternative housing options within neighborhoods while preserving their character. The additional stock could make neighborhoods more resilient to fluctuating housing markets, make use of existing infrastructure through infill and provide additional income to property owners through rental options.

Local custom homebuilder Steve Sorrells said Waco’s push toward allowing ADUs is a great idea and an important effort during a time of struggle for housing affordability. The additional unit allows people of various economic backgrounds to be able to afford their homes with the additional income an ADU could produce, he said.

“It scratches so many issues. … I highly applaud the city,” he said.

Sorrells said many of his clients want places to be able to host family as it is becoming more common for parents and children to move back into the family home. COVID-19 delayed a lot of young people’s trajectory to get married, start families and buy houses, he said.

Clients building houses outside of city limits where there is less regulation have taken an interest in ADUs, and they have been popular in “communities around that are doing good development,” he said.

Housing prices right now are crazy, Sorrells said, but building an ADU at the same time as the primary residence could let homeowners see a slightly lower price per square foot on their ADU than a regular house. The same efficiencies are not achieved with just an ADU’s construction, but hopefully owners would get a return on their investment.

Dean Highland Neighborhood Association President Jessica Ford said she is excited for the ADU ordinance to pass so she can finish the accessory unit she purchased with her house. She has had one longtime tenant leasing the space for years, but the technicality allowing her to do so is that the rental unit many not have a working kitchen, she said.

Ford said she is excited to be able to provide a better living situation for her tenant. ADUs open opportunities for homeowners to create additional spaces to suit their needs, and give them another freedom to use their property how they would like, she said.