Why Everyone Is Building Houses In Their Backyards

Accessory dwelling units (aka, ADUs) are on the rise across the US but are especially popular in cities like Los Angeles, where one in every three approved housing permits in 2023 was for an ADU. California’s dire housing crisis is a major reason why. Only 16% of homebuyers can afford a median-priced, single-family home, and that’s largely because of a post-WW II law that unintentionally made home building a lot harder. So how did the ADU make the comeback of a century? And should you invest in one for your backyard? The Hustle’s Noelle Medina finds out.

A special thanks to the team at Abodu.