Today, California Governor Gavin Newsom signed into law AB 976, a bill created by Asm Phil Ting (San Francisco) that expands the law passed in 2019 designed to encourage the construction of ADUs, or ” Granny Flats,” in existing residential properties. AB 976 removes the sunset provision from AB 881 in 2019, and makes permanent the ability of property owners to offer multiple rental units with the construction of affordable ADUs.
Sponsored by California YIMBY, AB 976 sails through legislature; ADUs have proven to be a popular form of new housing in California.
“When we started advocating for ADUs, cities across the state were fighting to prevent homeowners from building them,” said Brian Hanlon, CEO of California YIMBY. “Today, cities everywhere are promoting ADUs as one of the most desirable and affordable forms of housing available in their jurisdictions.
“Even cities that have historically resisted multi-unit housing are adopting ADUs, which is a kind of ‘proof of concept:’ There’s plenty of room in our cities for multi-unit housing, and once we build it, people love them.
“By permanently banning owner-occupancy requirements for ADUs, AB 976 will allow middle-class homeowners to access the financing needed to build ADUs.
“We are honored to have worked with Asm. Ting for years to ease their path to construction. Governor Newsom has kept his commitment to address the housing shortage, and California YIMBY is grateful for his signature on AB 976.
