Lacey advances a plan for affordable housing

An overflow crowd of more than 200 Lacey property owners filled the city hall chambers Saturday morning to hear the city’s newest proposal for building affordable housing – – Accessory Dwelling Units (ADUs).  These small houses can be built in backyards around the city if they meet city standards.

What made this meeting unique is a concept the City of Lacey is proposing.  It has developed plans and blueprints for housing units of 400 and 600 square feet.  If a property owner adopts one of these plans, it will automatically be approved for construction if it meets other requirements.  The cost of a building permit is about half of a normal building permit.

While the city currently allows ADUs it only gets a handful of permit applications each year.  The city hopes to increase the amount of affordable housing in the city under this proposal.  The idea is getting a look from the cities of Olympia and Tumwater, but Lacey is the first in the county to advance the idea to the project stage.

To further advance the plan, the city held the Saturday morning meeting and had builders and financial institutions on hand to help property owners determine in the concept was something they could do.

Interest from the group waned when a representative of Homes First spent 15 minutes telling property owners they should rent their ADU to low-income individuals.

If you’re interested in pursuing the idea of building an ADU in your backyard contact the City of Lacey’s building department.