From ABC 7 Denver:
Denver housing authority leaders celebrated Friday the completion of their pilot program's first accessory dwelling unit, aimed at providing more affordable housing in the west part of town.
An accessory dwelling unit, or ADU, is a self-contained living space that is an extension of a pre-existing property. In 2021, the Denver Housing Authority and West Denver Renaissance Collaborative (WDRC) launched an ADU Pilot Program.
“We're happy to say that we've gotten to a place where we've impacted 30 households. That's 15 ADUs and we have just as many in the pipeline preparing themselves for construction next year,” Renee Martinez-Stone, Denver Housing Authority director of planning and data, said Friday. “Accessory dwelling units are so helpful for a family. They provide stability for homeowners, they provide affordable rent.”
Martinez-Stone said the program helps homeowners build ADUs by connecting them with resources.
“So what's critical in that is, we have partners — including the Habitat for Humanity — and lenders who are working in all the different levels to deliver affordability. So we're lowering the cost of construction, we are providing a unit that doesn't have to draw very high rent to pay for the construction of the unit,” Martinez-Stone said. “ADUs have an average rent of $800 a month.”
Read ABC 7 Denver's article "West Denver housing policy leaders celebrate pilot program's first accessory dwelling unit," featuring the Denver Housing Authority.