Florida is considering allowing accessory dwelling units (ADUs), better known as “granny flats,” in residential zones statewide as it tries to combat an ongoing shortage of affordable homes in the Sunshine State.
While the current legislation says that local governments can allow granny flats—independent living spaces added to homes or properties—new bills making their way to the state’s chambers could require them to do so.
Why It Matters
Over the past few years, Florida—together with Texas—has been building the most new homes in the nation, driven by a major influx of out-of-state newcomers during the pandemic.
While the rise of inventory in some of the state’s most overheated markets is now contributing to bringing home prices down in these metros, Florida is still struggling with a lack of affordable homes . At the state level, home prices are still on the rise: in February, the median sale price of a home in the Sunshine State was $411,400, up 0.8 percent from a year earlier, according to Redfin data…