The city expanded the areas where homeowners can build ADUs in an effort to boost housing supply and affordable rental units.

Two bills passed by the Jacksonville City Council will legalize accessory dwelling units (ADUs) in most Jacksonville neighborhoods, except where prohibited by homeowners associations. As Mike Mendenhall reports in the Jacksonville Daily Record, council member Rory Diamond, who sponsored the bills, says “the new structures would increase property values where they’re built, particularly in Jacksonville’s urban neighborhoods where advocates say the need is greatest.”
Restrictions in the bills include an owner-occupancy requirement and a rule stating that the ADU must adhere to a similar aesthetic style as the main home. The addition’s footprint must be limited to 25 percent of the house or 750 square feet, and the structure cannot be taller than the house.
Opponents say the proliferation of ADUs could “ruin the ‘ambiance’” of the city’s traditional single-family neighborhoods, a common concern among ADU detractors. Yet ADUs, once known as carriage houses, are common in some of Jacksonville’s most historic neighborhoods. Accessory units only fell out of favor more recently, when single-family zoning began to dominate America’s residential neighborhoods.
Other supporters of the bills say many Jacksonville residents were already building ADUs, and that legalizing the process would make their construction safer while adding sorely needed housing stock.
FULL STORY: Council approves plan to expand accessory dwelling units in Jacksonville

Trump Administration Could Effectively End Housing Voucher Program
Federal officials are eyeing major cuts to the Section 8 program that helps millions of low-income households pay rent.

Planetizen Federal Action Tracker
A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.

Ken Jennings Launches Transit Web Series
The Jeopardy champ wants you to ride public transit.

USGS Water Science Centers Targeted for Closure
If their work is suspended, states could lose a valuable resource for monitoring, understanding, and managing water resources.

Driving Equity and Clean Air: California Invests in Greener School Transportation
California has awarded $500 million to fund 1,000 zero-emission school buses and chargers for educational agencies as part of its effort to reduce pollution, improve student health, and accelerate the transition to clean transportation.

Congress Moves to End Reconnecting Communities and Related Grants
The House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee moved to rescind funding for the Neighborhood Equity and Access program, which funds highway removals, freeway caps, transit projects, pedestrian infrastructure, and more.
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