Bidding AD(ie)U to homelessness?

Are small, backyard units an answer to Los Angeles' housing affordability and homeless crises? In the last two years, four pilot programs have emerged to answer this question. With accessory dwelling units (ADUs) as the common feature, these programs test various financial incentives to house individuals transitioning out of homelessness and/or Section 8 voucher-holders. Although in the early stages, these pilot programs seem to defy NIMBY expectations and offer a window into possible strategies for creating low-income housing. Simultaneously, the pilots raise questions around shifting responsibility towards individual homeowners, combatting longstanding stigma, and increasing access - both to constructing and living in ADUs. Largely informed by stakeholder interviews, this thesis provides a close examination of the four programs in order to understand the profiles of the envisioned tenant and homeowner participants. Additionally, this thesis explores the ways in which the pilots, as formal programs, are shifting conversations around homelessness and affordable housing in Los Angeles.

Name thesis:degree_name

Master

Department dc:contributor.department

Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Department of Urban Studies and Planning

Grantor dc:publisher

Massachusetts Institute of Technology

Year dc:date.issued

2019

Author dc:creator

• Diaz, Hannah L.(Hannah Louise)

Advisor dc:contributor.advisor

• Devin Michelle Bunten.

• Urban Studies and Planning.

Statement dc:rights

• MIT theses are protected by copyright. They may be viewed, downloaded, or printed from this source but further reproduction or distribution in any format is prohibited without written permission.

Licence dc:rights.uri

• http://dspace.mit.edu/handle/1721.1/7582

Language dc:language.iso

eng

Handle dc:identifier.uri

https://hdl.handle.net/1721.1/123952

OAI identifier oai:identifier

oai:dspace.mit.edu:1721.1/123952