Housing for an Evolving Population

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Purpose  

The Town of Dedham and Livable Dedham have come together with AARP to examine how accessory dwelling units (ADUs) might work in Dedham, how they are working in other communities, and what Dedham can do to help older residents who are interested in staying in their homes.  

About 

Accessory Dwelling Units (ADUs) are a simple and old idea: having a second small dwelling right on the same grounds (or attached to) a regular single-family house, such as: 

• An apartment over the garage; 
• A tiny house (on a foundation) in the backyard; 
• A basement or upper level apartment; 
• A garage conversion; or 
• An attached apartment. 

While ADUs are an old idea, they fell out of favor in the second half of the 20^th century. Now, their popularity is on the rise. Some call them granny flats, in-law suits, or laneway houses. ADUs may be tiny houses, but tiny houses aren’t always ADUs. 

People create ADUs for a variety of reasons, but the most common goal is earning income through rent. 

Having flexibility in housing is beneficial for several reasons, including environmental, lifestyle, and financial. Although many people buy houses and live in them for decades, their needs do change over time. Many houses are too big for 1- or 2-person households. 

In Dedham, 41% of residents are projected to be age 55 or older by 2030. 71% of Dedham’s older adults want to stay in Dedham as they age. We know that of the Dedham residents who want to stay in their homes as they age, 24% would need financial assistance to modify their homes to continue living in them. 

Goals 

The overarching goals of this discussion are: 

• Provide additional flexibility to homeowners 
• Allowing for options that may either create supplemental revenue sources 
• Allow aging in place on the property. 
• Increase long-term rental housing opportunities while balancing potential impacts to existing neighborhoods