Last week we were happy to support a panel of two experts on backyard cottages, or Detached Accessory Dwelling Units (DADUs), the small houses that can be built in the backyard or right next to a single-family home. The City Council is interested in figuring out how to expand the use of DADUs as a housing solution. The video embedded above is the full panel if you weren’t able to attend.

The take away from the panel? Reducing parking requirements, residence requirements, and finding other ways to financially incentivizing DADUs will be the key. Oregon saw building of DADUs spike when the State allowed the elimination of an impact fee on new building. The fee–about $10,000–was a major obstacle. While Seattle doesn’t have a fee like that yet, some Councilmembers are talking about one. It’s clear that adding more costs to DADUs won’t help. A program that lowered property taxes, for example, on DADUs might be part of the answer.