Small second homes sharing a city lot with an existing house are inching their way into the hearts of homeowners and local government officials.

Owners find that the occupants of the two units do not necessarily impact each other's living space and Oregon cities are promoting rentable, self-contained backyard shelters to ease housing shortages.

On April 4, the City of Springfield's new ordinance making it easier to build what's called an accessory dwelling unit (ADU) went into effect.

Springfield's development changes now allow owners, even those who live someplace else, to build a second home with up to 800 square feet of living space.

The city council has also relaxed parking requirements and design standards. Instead of building from the ground up, manufactured homes and towable structures can be placed on a permanent foundation.

Following Portland's successful footsteps, Springfield has been waiving system development fees of about $6,000 for newly permitted accessory dwellings. These savings, available from July 2017 to June 2019, have been an incentive to homeowners.

About 40 people a week contact the city to hear if they can construct a legal spare home on their property, what permits and land use applications are required, what the new rules call for and allow, and what development costs might be, said Tom Boyatt, Springfield's interim development and public works director.

"We are encouraged by the positive response from the community so far and believe that ADUs can play a part in addressing our affordable housing needs," said Boyatt.

Eugene and jurisdictions in the Portland Metro area are also in the process of updating their development codes, partially in response to Oregon Senate Bill 1051, which requires every city with more than 2,500 people to allow ADUs in single-family zones.

Experts say building a "granny flat" next to an existing house provides an infill opportunity that takes advantage of utilities and services like roads, sewers and schools, while making it possible for more people to live near employment, retail centers and transit corridors.

Homeowners who are thinking about becoming backyard landlords find one- and two-bedroom urban homes are in demand, use less energy and materials in construction, and cost less to heat, cool and maintain.

Some owners are building small dwellings for a family member or caregiver or to live in full time while they rent out the main house to enhance their nest egg.

Since housing is the single largest monthly expense for most Americans, seniors nearing retirement see a tiny house as a way to downsize and cut costs while staying in their neighborhood.

Portland-based ADU educator Kol Peterson advises potential backyard landlords to find out how their jurisdiction assesses ADUs for property tax evaluations. There will also be increases in utility costs, periodic vacancies and other ongoing maintenance expenses.

Other drawbacks are new units escalate density and parking issues while possibly reducing gardens, trees and creature habitats. A neighbor's privacy can be intruded upon when second-story windows overlook the property next door.

Still, ADU interest is growing. Peterson has taught more than 2,000 people in his day-long workshops about cost-saving construction as well as financing and rebates. He holds classes in Portland, Bend and Vancouver, and offers an online class.

Peterson also wrote a comprehensive book, "Backdoor Revolution-The Definitive Guide to ADU Development" ($15 ebook, $25 print), for homeowners who want to learn what it's like to design, build, sleep, shower, cook in or rent a legal second dwelling.

Little homes can range in styles, from farmhouse to glass-box modern, and size, from about 260 square feet -- the size of a single-car garage -- to more than 800 square feet -- the living space of the average U.S. homee before 1950.

Although a second house is usually financed from personal savings or through home equity loans, and a fancy, freestanding one can cost $160,000, Peterson has found that it can pay for itself in about nine years if rented at $1,500 a month, and it can eventually add to the resale value.

-- Janet Eastman



jeastman@oregonian.com

503-799-8739

@janeteastman



