On May 6, the Oklahoma City City Council is scheduled to vote on a proposed ordinance regarding accessory dwelling units or ADUs (think smaller house behind your house) in areas currently zoned R-1. Construction data and the most recent academic research show this ordinance will inadvertently increase the cost of land, create unaffordable housing and attract new corporate, for-profit development.
We recommend amending the proposed ordinance to allow ADU creation by right only for property owners who live in our communities and retain the existing requirement that neighbors who build new residential structures in their backyards adequately notify their neighbors beforehand.
When construction was cheaper, ADU meant affordable, below market rent housing. Since the pandemic and recent tariffs, the cost of construction has skyrocketed. The cost of creating an ADU that complies with the proposed ordinance is estimated to be roughly $200–$250 per square foot. Even though an ADU is a smaller building (equivalent to a 1 bedroom apartment), a 500 square-foot ADU could cost $125,000 to construct…