{"id":16252,"date":"2026-11-03T13:06:21","date_gmt":"2026-11-03T19:06:21","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/empowermissouri.org\/?p=16252"},"modified":"2026-11-03T13:18:00","modified_gmt":"2026-11-03T19:18:00","slug":"accessory-dwelling-units-in-missouri-a-simple-solution-for-more-affordable-housing","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/empowermissouri.org\/es\/accessory-dwelling-units-in-missouri-a-simple-solution-for-more-affordable-housing\/","title":{"rendered":"Accessory Dwelling Units in Missouri: A Simple Solution for More Affordable Housing – Part 1"},"content":{"rendered":"

Any Big Bang Theory fans out there? I recently started watching the series again and that led me down the fandom rabbit hole to Young Sheldon and then Georgie and Mandy\u2019s First Marriage. You might be wondering what modern day television has to do with affordable housing and here\u2019s our first insight: alternative housing options have been been in the media<\/a> for quite some time with shows like Parenthood, This Old House and even AARP\u2019s Future of Housing series featuring Alternative Dwelling Units (ADUs) and innovating strategies for creating more affordable housing for ourselves, our loved ones, our families, friends and neighbors.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Commonly called ADUs<\/strong>, Accessory Dwelling Units are also known as guest houses, casitas, backyard cottages, English basements, in-law suites, tiny homes, secondary apartments, and grandparent flats. ADUs also appear when people remodel an existing garage, basement or upgrade an area of their home into a living space for others. Remember Fonzie? He lived in the remodeled apartment above the Cunningham\u2019s garage and that was in Milwaukee in the ’50s.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

While times have changed drastically from the 1950s until now, one pillar of the American dream remains the same: homeownership. The New York Times<\/a> shows that an average US home price in the 1950s was a mere $7,400, approximately 2.5 times the median annual household income at that time. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

To reach that dream of American homeownership today, you might be surprised to learn that, according to the same New York Times study, the average US home price was found to be almost five times the median household income<\/strong>, at $417,900.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n
\"\"
Image Courtesy of The New York Times<\/a><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Enter Georgie and Mandy. \ud83d\ude42 \ud83c\udfe1 \u2764\ufe0f<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n

Along with the famous Fonz, this happy couple found their first home right next door to Georgie\u2019s parents, converting their garage into a fully-functional independent living space. While their first nest wouldn\u2019t legally qualify as an ADU due to their bathroom setup, it did provide a space for the couple to grow their family, save for a place of their own, and receive intergenerational support from loved ones and friends.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

\n\n\n\n

Part 1<\/strong> of our ADU Trilogy will educate us on what an ADU is and set the scene for why Accessory Dwelling Units are a simple solution for providing more affordable housing in Missouri.\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Part 2<\/strong> of our ADU Trilogy will dive deep into the benefits of Accessory Dwelling Units.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Part 3<\/strong> will cover certain bumps in the road that can sometimes elongate the building and financing processes.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

For now, let\u2019s keep going full steam ahead here in Part 1<\/strong> as we set up our ADU framework (pun definitely intended). \ud83d\ude42\u00a0<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n\n\n\n

First, let\u2019s cover a few basics.\u00a0<\/span><\/strong>
<\/p>\n\n\n\n

An Accessory Dwelling Unit can be:<\/p>\n\n\n\n