Yes, in my backyard – Literally

By: J. David Chapman/July 16, 2020

We have all heard the acronym, NIMBY, for not in my backyard. The term has come to describe citizens that want a city amenity, but don’t want it near their neighborhood. Our home in Edmond has a detached garage and an apartment above. We are doing Airbnb monthly rental to professionals who are in Edmond for a short period of time, but prefer not to stay in a hotel. Ten years ago, I built a single-family home near OCU and built an apartment in the backyard that looked like a converted garage. It has been an absolute blessing to students and people looking for a small, inexpensive place to live.

While I would love to take credit for this affordable housing strategy, the fact is it goes back decades and it is called an accessory dwelling unit (ADU) or a granny flat. I have purchased homes with these units in the backyard and many of you living in historic homes have them as well. The units were originally built as “servant’s quarters” for those serving the family living in the front home. Later, these small apartments in the backyards of homes have served as homes for aging parents, grown children returning home (boomerang kids), students, and those simply looking for affordable housing.

While proponents see a potential remedy for unaffordable housing, opponents to ADUs have some legitimate concerns, such as parking and traffic. When they were designed, cars were not as prevalent as today and those living in an ADU likely did not have one. Today, they will almost certainly have a vehicle and frequently park it on the street, to the displeasure of neighbors. Nevertheless, cities with severe housing affordability issues have taken note and are relaxing codes and fees to allow ADUs. In fact, you can now purchase ADUs from companies who install prefabricated backyard dwellings and will help with local legal hurdles for your ADU.

In my opinion, as the “tiny house” trend gains momentum, ADUs can play a role in affordable housing strategies. Additionally, in my experience, building ADUs on in-fill lots with alley access eases concerns of parking and traffic. Hopefully municipal code will be relaxed and city councils will consider the need for affordable housing and consider these additional living structures behind existing homes.

J. David Chapman is an associate professor of finance and real estate at the University of Central Oklahoma (jchapman7@uco.edu).