Fully 25% of single-family homes in Marin are occupied by one person. Many of these are seniors and some live on very fixed incomes. Further, we have an affordable housing crisis.
One multi-beneficial solution are Junior accessory dwelling units (JADUs). California law allows a homeowner to convert an existing bedroom into a studio apartment by adding a new outdoor entrance, installing a kitchenette, and either sharing an existing bathroom or building a dedicated one for the studio apartment.
Importantly, for rural homeowners, JADUs require no septic inspection or evaluation since an existing bedroom is being converted. Added parking is not a requirement, either, as long as the JADU is created from a pre-existing bedroom in the home.
JADUs tend to be easy to construct, Marin County has waived some fees, there will be no tax impact beyond a simple remodel and permitting for a compliant JADU needs to happen within 60 days.
With many retired singles and couples living in multi-bedroom homes in Marin, the potential for JADU bedroom conversions is promising.
Affordable housing crisis? Inflation pressures? The solution may be right under our feet
