You may have called them mother-in-law units, or au-pair suites. They could be cottages in people’s backyards. Now they’re playing a new role as “accessory dwelling units,” or ADUs.

Princeton is one of a handful of New Jersey towns — including Montclair and Maplewood — that have adopted ordinances enabling ADUs. With a 250,000-unit affordable housing deficit in the state, ADUs offer what housing advocates call “gentle density.” Gentle density, said Zoe Baldwin, regional director of the Regional Plan Association, “gradually creates more housing over time. It doesn’t overwhelm any infrastructure or schools and, quite frankly, it doesn’t change the visual character of a town in any way.”

Now Gov. Phil Murphy and lawmakers want to expand the initiative statewide with financial incentives and legislation.

Accessory dwelling units are “also usually offered at a more affordable rental price, the market rate. So it truly is an opportunity to have affordable housing too in the community,” said Sen. Britnee Timberlake (D-Essex.) She’s co-sponsoring a bill that would set statewide standards for ADUs. It would require municipalities to allow accessory dwellings, with limited exceptions. It would also ban the sale of ADUs separately from the primary residence and require towns to promote ADU construction to meet affordable housing demands.

The bill is meeting some resistance from towns worried about preserving single-family-home neighborhoods.

Murphy’s proposed budget for the 2025 fiscal year includes $10 million in municipal grants for a statewide ADU pilot project. The AARP is fully behind the idea — to help retirees afford to age in place.

Source: njspotlightnews.org

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