And, in 2022, SB 9 will allow us to do so much more. Exciting things to come in the new year!
Los Angeles–based design-build company Homestead (YC W20) wants to help homeowners turn their unused spaces into rentable ADUs. Samuel Schneider and Sean Phillips first came together while studying at MIT’s School of Architecture and Planning before founding?Homestead?in early 2020 with a vision of changing?lives by "using the home—most Americans’ largest asset—as a source of income and stability." During their last year in graduate school, the duo worked on a project to address homelessness and a lack of affordable housing on Martha’s Vineyard. Disappointed with the local community’s feedback—while simultaneously witnessing the growing popularity of ADU legislation across the country—the pair became enthusiastic about making ADUs part of a solution to the nation’s housing crisis.?? Initially establishing a design consultancy geared toward nonprofits, they realized that there was a fundamental problem with ADUs: it's time and cost-intensive — the same people who need the income from renting out an ADU already are busy. They work full-time, are parents, or act as healthcare providers to family members. Homestead wants to help by taking care of everything from design, financing, and permitting, to contractor selection and code inspection. "ADUs are not—and cannot be—the only solution for affordable housing," admits Schneider. But the team at Homestead still believes they can have a positive impact on the housing market and income growth. "If we can help homeowners have a higher quality of life—and contractors have an easier time operating—we can create more housing at scale and affordably," he continues. "It’s why Homestead started, and why we’re in it for the long run."