Mayor Kevin Faulconer has been a staunch supporter of efforts to help ease San Diego’s homelessness epidemic, and recently accomplished a big win for those in need. San Diego’s Development Services Department announced that it will begin accepting permit-ready building plans for companion unit constructions attached to existing single and multi-family properties.
Commonly known as “granny flats,” these constructions are often designed for one or two people to live in their own self-contained living space on the grounds of a single family home. Permit-ready plans are just another way San Diego is looking to close the affordable housing gap while reaching out to low-income seniors, veterans, and others at risk of homelessness.
Mayor Faulconer and other Republican leaders like Councilmen Scott Sherman and Chris Cate have sought out ways to expedite construction, including waiving fees and increasing maximum unit size. Streamlining regulation has not only caused construction applications to increase from just 19 applications in 2019 to over 480 this year.
“We’re doing everything we can to make it easier and cheaper to build housing here in San Diego,” Faulconer explained. “Granny flats are exploding in popularity thanks to our housing reforms and now residents can build them for less with pre-approved plans that will ensure the permitting process is quick and efficient.”
Featured Photo by Josh Esh
