Backyard Housing Boom: New Markets for Affordable Housing and the Role of Digital Technology

Abstract

In an effort to address California's affordable housing shortage, lawmakers recently passed statewide legislation removing barriers to the development of accessory dwelling units (ADU). Not since the postwar suburban housing boom has such a significant new market for residential production been created in Los Angeles and, more broadly, across the entire state. Simultaneously, new digital technologies are overcoming constraints in finance models, design processes, and construction practices that restrict ADU production. Through interviews conducted with emerging ADU service providers in Los Angeles, this paper identifies how digital technologies and regulatory change are enabling emergent forms of practice and production for addressing a significant housing shortage. Specifically, it asks what role digital technologies may play in facilitating the mass production of affordable housing in the post-suburban city.

A Critical Success Factor Framework for Implementing Sustainable Innovative and Affordable Housing: A Systematic Review and Bibliometric Analysis

“…Innovative technologies and practices have been identified as having the potential to tackle these barriers and effectuate the successful delivery of SAH [8]. However, limited studies have sought to explore this potential further.…”

“…According to the authors, the benefits of deploying 3D printing technology in housing delivery include decreased construction timeframes, increased sustainability and durability of houses, improved productivity, increased quality delivery because of automated workmanship, and a reduction in material costs and wastage. Bennett et al [8] investigate the role of digital technologies in overcoming the challenges posed by extant finance models, design processes and construction practices associated with affordable housing delivery in Los Angeles. They establish the beneficial use of digital technologies in facilitating process innovation in the predesign, design and construction phases of the affordable housing delivery process through providing the easy translation of complex sets of information, among others.…”

“…Unfortunately, the conservative nature and institutional quagmires inhibit the ability of the construction industry to pick the gauntlet in enabling the supply of sustainable affordable housing. The sector has been unable to effectively adopt and utilize innovative technologies to reduce the inefficiencies associated with the use of traditional design and construction methods in the delivery of sustainable affordable housing [8]. The use of traditional design and construction methods has been identified as a major contributor to the low levels of sustainability and poor cost-effectiveness of sustainable affordable housing units [8,9].…”

Addressing housing shortage through energy and space-efficient retrofitting: The case study of a Swedish Single-Family house

“…Within this context, space sufficient interventions and infill accessory dwelling units (ADUs) created within the primary residence seem promising. Furthermore, environmental concerns related to urban sprawling make ADUs an attractive alternative to achieving more sustainable residential growth [5] [6], but the technical and social challenges should be addressed accordingly. Moreover, the viability of this concept in practice has yet to be adequately demonstrated.…”

Is ‘informal’ housing an affordability solution for expensive cities? Evidence from Sydney, Australia

“…Thus, a market for informal housing arises exposing residents to risks associated with poor quality accommodation produced beyond systems of building (and often rental) regulation. In this context there is growing interest in the potential to enable or legitimise existing and potential 'informal' dwelling options such as secondary dwelling units or boarding houses, as a strategy for both increasing the supply of low cost housing options within established residential areas while also ensuring that minimum standards are met (Bennett et al, 2019;Wegmann & Chapple, 2014).…”