Housing Policy & Zoning: Go where you are wanted!
New zoning laws are creating a once-in-a-lifetime development opportunity for homeowners to create value and utility on their property. As demand for housing accelerates beyond supply, cities and states are changing restrictive zoning policies in favor of moderate-density housing, especially near transit, to promote housing access and affordability goals.
Accessory Dwelling Units.
Accessory Dwelling Unit policy is sweeping the nation, and California has passed policy statewide to allow the by-right addition of one detached ADU to an existing single-family home, or two detached accessory dwelling units to a multifamily property. This new designation means you can build housing with ministerial approval as long as you meet an objective set of standards. Wow!
While streamlined permitting is valuable, there are still a lot of considerations for reducing costs, time, and construction risk.
Bequall goes a step further by partnering with municipalities to streamline the permitting process by using our statewide pre-approved single-family studio, built to the same state and local building codes that apply to any other new construction home in California. The state pre-approval reduces on-site inspections and delays while reducing disruption to the residents in the existing house.
If you are interested in creating a policy for your municipality, please try using our AI ADU Policy Generator and let us know if you have any questions.
Lot Splits.
Senate Bill 9, or SB 9, is a law in California made to help with the housing problem by allowing more homes to be built on a piece of land originally zoned for just one house. Before, if you had a piece of land, you could only build one house on it. Thanks to SB 9, it is possible build up to four units on that same piece of land.
Missing Middle Housing.
Missing Middle Housing refers to a range of multi-unit or clustered housing types compatible in scale with single-family homes, which help meet the growing demand for walkable urban living. These housing types, including duplexes, triplexes, courtyard apartments, and bungalow courts, provide essential low-density solutions that respect existing neighborhood form, while allowing for a more diverse, affordable, and sustainable housing mix conducive to vibrant, cohesive communities.