Do you have an ailing in-law who you would like to move closer to home? A friend whose college-aged daughter needs a place to stay for her summer law clerkship? How about added housing that can make your own mortgage more affordable? Next month, Dallas City Council may make all of that possible.
Guided by a task force put together by Opportunity Dallas, the council will vote on a policy attempts to slow gentrification, increase home ownership and reduce economic segregation in the city.
One piece of the policy that has been hotly contested in East Dallas is the addition and renting of Accessory Dwelling Units (ADUs), also known as granny flats or garage apartments. These are detached housing units that can be rented out with a kitchen, sleeping area and bathroom. Over the last three years, the issue has been before various governmental bodies with little progress.
Our neighborhood has its fair share of garage apartments that were built before World War II, but technically only one family can live on a single family lot. Those that do exist can’t be rented without approval from the Board of Adjustment, though the rule is rarely enforced. East Dallas City Councilman Philip Kingston has been singing the praises of ADUs for years.
Kingston doesn’t want to limit them to certain areas of town as some have proposed, but thinks they should be permitted to be built and rented all over Dallas. He says they would allow people to live in neighborhoods they couldn’t afford to buy in and would create added density to support local businesses. Renting ADUs would provie economic diversity to neighborhoods while putting money into the pockets of homeowners.
Kingston imagines a homeowner moving into their own back house as they age if they want to stay in the neighborhood and support systems they enjoy. If a neighbor enjoys the proximity to Lower Greenville or White Rock Lake, but doesn’t want to maintain a house as they age, an ADU would allow those folks to stay close to places they love.
Mike Koprowski, the former director of Opportunity Dallas, recorded an episode of “To the Point,” where he discussed ADUs. “We would be foolish and unwise to ignore the concept of ADUs,” he says. “It can significantly expand the number of affordable units for moderate to low income people.” He also noted Austin’s zoning change that allowed property owners to build ADUs and add housing.
Robert Wilonsky reported City Councilman Rickey Callahan’s fears of allowing ADUs to be built. He says they will cause the “rapid slumification of Dallas housing stock” and “increase chaos to local governance.”
Kingston says the criticisms are unfounded. He has heard complaints about more people parking on the street and a reduction of privacy if garage apartments loom over neighbors’ yards. “People could already do that,” he says, noting that most zoning laws already allow people to build their home high enough to see into their neighbor’s back yard.
The issue will be before the City Council on June 27.
