Making It Easier to Build Accessory Dwelling Units in Iowa

For nearly two years, Jessica Andino and her fellow affordable housing advocates have been making the rounds in Johnson County, urging local leaders to make it easier to build accessory dwelling units.

ADUs are small residences, such as backyard cottages or basement apartments, built on existing single-family home lots. They can be an affordable option to allow older Iowans to live in their communities as they age.

But not all cities allow them, and in those that do, the rules and restrictions around building ADUs can vary from place to place. It makes the process confusing for residents and developers, says Andino, executive director of the Johnson County Affordable Housing Coalition.

“It would be easier to build ADUs if we had a similar code across the state,” she says.

To that end, AARP Iowa this year is urging state lawmakers to pass legislation that would establish statewide parameters for building ADUs. It would create uniform expectations—what’s permissible and what’s not—and allow more Iowans to build ADUs, says Paige Yontz, AARP Iowa’s advocacy director.

AARP has successfully championed zoning changes to make it easier to build ADUs in some localities, including Des Moines and Iowa City. “We are really looking to take it to the next level,” Yontz says.

State laws should set minimum standards to ensure ADUs can be built in any community, while also allowing flexibility at the local level for size and other details, says Eli Spevak, an affordable housing developer in Portland, Oregon, who has worked on ADU legislation across the country.

For instance, those wanting to build an ADU shouldn’t be required to provide additional parking, Yontz says.

Go to aarp.org/ia to learn more.

—David Lewellen