A plan to bolster the affordable housing market in Carrboro through the construction of accessory dwellings is being discussed by town officials ahead of meetings on revisions to zoning laws.

According to Mayor Lydia Lavelle, freestanding rental units and other property additions that provide cost-effective living spaces for residents have piqued the interest of local policymakers.

“Some of us have been on some site visits to see some tiny homes around the area and we know that the county also has been exploring this, and so I think the general consensus coming out of the observation was, ‘Yeah, we’re all generally interested in seeing how we might work to accommodate this,'” she explained.

By promoting the development of those living spaces, Lavelle and other members of the Carrboro Board of Aldermen hope to address rental housing shortages while empowering homeowners.

“There were two avenues that we thought might be useful for tiny homes,” she relayed. “Number one is, first of all, just to provide more housing for the people who needed to have affordable housing, and then certainly number two is it’s a source of income for long-time homeowners.”

Local ordinances dictate that neighbor notifications and public screenings must take place before additional living spaces are allowed to be built on residential property within town limits.

Lavelle and company may consider augmenting those ordinances and waiving certain restrictions for property owners with plans to build accessory dwellings on their land.

“Right now, they might be considering trying to add an accessory use to their house — some type of addition or a garage with an apartment over it — which, under our code, it can be really hard to finagle,” she noted. “We’re looking at, maybe, does it make sense in a way to open up our code a little bit and to allow this new form of home ownership.”

Board members are also considering a partnership with county officials and outside agencies to fund the construction of freestanding rental units on underutilized parcels of land.

“I think long-term, also, we would want to talk to the county about whether there’s some property […] where we can maybe partner, possibly even use some of the affordable housing money,” she mused.

Lavelle noted that municipal planners have been asked to gauge public opinion on accessory dwellings and consider subsequent courses of action for board members.

Photo by Airbnb.

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