TUCSON, ARIZONA -- Tucson City Planning Commission recently endorsed a proposal that could make it easier to build casitas across the city, something proponents say could create more affordable housing options for Tucson residents. The proposal will now go on to City Mayor and Council.
Casitas — or "accessory dwelling units" — are small homes with a kitchen, bathroom and sleeping space that are built alongside full-sized houses, similar to a garage. They usually cost about half the price of a typical home, but restrictive zoning rules only permit their construction on large pieces of residential property that are rare throughout Tucson.
Under the new proposal, casitas will be allowed on any residential lot as long as they meet certain size and design requirements, such as having at least one parking space. The City Council initiated the proposal in November and it was endorsed by the Planning Commission last week after months of public outreach.
Officials hope the change will create more housing flexibility for seniors and large families, but the impact it will have on Tucson’s level of affordable housing is still uncertain.
Under current law, homeowners can build what's basically a detached sleeping porch on residential properties zoned R-1, R-2 and R-3 (most every home in Tucson). It’s like a spare bedroom that doesn’t include a full kitchen. Those structures are also limited to no more than half the size of the main house.
Now, the city is considering a casita ordinance that would allow homeowners to build a true guest house with a full kitchen, but limit the unit's size to no more than 1,000 square feet. They would have to be built on permanent slabs, so tiny houses would not be permitted so long as they are mobile.
The approval is to address Tucson’s increasing crunch on affordable rentals, accommodate demographic changes so parents/grandparents can live with family members without living on top of family members, and give homeowners a chance to earn a little extra income in this low-wage town if they choose to rent the units to the public.
The casita rule would address a much bigger change of thinking and that is how Tucson considers growth. It would wholly embrace the idea of "infill".