Arizona is among several western states facing a severe housing shortage, driving prices beyond reach for many working-class people.
Call them casitas, cottages, granny flats, mother-in-law suites or accessory dwelling units — some Arizona cities are looking to make it easier for property owners to build essentially guest houses on their properties as part of the answer to the housing crisis.
Tucson and Flagstaff have been looking at proposals to change zoning regulations to make it easier to add an accessory dwelling unit (ADU) to a property. And states like California and Oregon have already been experimenting with encouraging these additional units on existing properties.
Jessica Kutz, a Tucson-based assistant editor at High Country News, recently wrote about how some Tucson residents are hoping proposals can help homeowners of color to withstand the wave of gentrification that’s displacing many longtime families from Tucson’s southside.
The Show spoke with her to learn more about residents' hopes and concerns.
