With AB 1033, California lifted the ban on converting ADUs into individually owned condos–opening the door to a new supply of starter homes. While new to California, this housing type is common in Portland OR, Seattle WA and Austin TX, among others. The panel will provide an overview of what they are, how it works and how ADU condos are creating homeownership opportunities half the cost of standard one-house-on-a-lot properties. Panelists will share the need-to-know basics for homeowners, builders, planners and community leaders–as well as talking points for advocates to encourage their city to opt in.

Moderator

Sylvia Aguilar, Program and Operations Manager, Casita Coalition

Sylvia’s career has been dedicated to public service and creating more diverse and
equitable communities. An advocate for social justice, housing affordability and
homeownership, her work has focused on community development, raising
awareness on income and wealth disparities and community and coalition building.
Sylvia came to Casita Coalition as part of a merger with California Community
Builders, who in partnership with the State Treasurer’s Office, CA FWD and real
estate and municipal advisors HR&A Advisors and CSG Advisors — developed the
California Dream for All Shared Appreciation Loan program for first-time
homebuyers. At Casita Coalition, Sylvia works with advocates and policymakers to
help them remove barriers in existing ADU laws to expand the supply of middle
housing in California, including ADUs, duplexes and more.

Speakers

Joshua Abrams, Principal, Community Planning Collaborative

Josh Abrams is a nationally recognized expert on Accessory Dwelling Units (ADUs) with over 20 years of experience. As Principal of the Community Planning Collaborative, he helps cities and homeowners remove barriers to ADU development through clear policies, toolkits, and public education. He has helped start many of the region’s ADU organizations including Casita Coalition, the (Napa/Somona) ADU Resource Center, and the San Mateo County ADU Resource Center. His recent work includes ADU workbooks and toolkits for San Mateo, Napa, Sonoma, and Marin counties as well as the online ADU calculator. He’s a skilled facilitator, writer, and editor who turns technical material into clear, usable guidance. He also holds certification as a mediator and has helped resolve disputes in dozens of cases. Over nearly a decade, he served on the board of the Northern California Land Trust. He authored an article for the Journal of the American Planning Association, “The Zoning Dispute Whisperer: Adding Mediation to the Planner’s Toolkit.”

Derek Ouyang, Research Manager, Stanford RegLab

Derek Ouyang (derekouyang.com) graduated from Stanford University in 2013 with dual Bachelor’s in Civil Engineering and Architectural Design, and in 2015 with a Master’s in Structural Engineering. He is Senior Research Manager at Stanford’s Regulation, Evaluation, and Governance Lab (reglab.stanford.edu) and Executive Director of City Systems, a nonprofit consultancy (city.systems). He grew up in Arcadia, CA and now lives in Walnut Creek, CA.