Affordable ADU Builder Hopes Co-Op Model Can Catch On

A cooperatively owned housing developer in Evanston, Illinois could provide a model for efficient, affordable construction, writes Ashira Morris in Next City. The Evanston Development Cooperative, which specializes in building accessory dwelling units (ADUs), was founded in 2018 when the city started revising its zoning code to permit 'granny flats.'

Before EDC’s founding, the city did the work of legalizing existing ADUs, which were technically illegal because of changes made to city zoning in the 1950s to prioritize single-family housing. In 2020, thanks in part to EDC’s advocacy, two additional key changes were made: allowing the construction of ADUs on any residential property and legalizing internal ADUs, such as an attic or basement conversion.

The update also widened the ADU rules to include duplexes, not just single-family homes. "Resolving that line item was an equity issue, [EDC co-founder Robinson] Markus says," noting that Evanston's duplexes are disproportionately located in communities of color. "'Only certain parts of the city were allowed to build intergenerational wealth and increase their property value through this mechanism,' [Markus] says, 'while other parts of the city were often being denied this opportunity.'"

To share their experience, EDC co-published a step-by-step ADU guidebook with the city. "The co-op is also working with the city on an affordable housing pilot project, with one two-bedroom unit intended for a small family currently under construction behind a duplex." In the future, EDC hopes to scale up their operation with the same worker-owned model.