Why ADUs? Intergenerational Living Solutions in Tucson

There are many reasons to build an Accessory Dwelling Unit or ADU (commonly called a casita around Tucson): extra space for a guest, a home office, an art or writing studio, or even for additional income through rentals. However the most frequent driver, by a landslide, is for intergenerational housing. 

A majority of the casita projects we’ve built in Tucson to date have been for intergenerational housing: a place for grandma, a nephew, or a developmentally disabled brother. One of our clients enclosed a garage to make a dwelling for her grandson, with the plan of switching places with the grandson when she was ready to downsize and allow him to live in the primary home. This is a model that is growing in popularity.  Another of our clients sadly lost her father unexpectedly, and built a casita to move her mom onto her property (we were able to complete that one right before she had a new baby so mom could help out!). Still another client built a casita for their family member with developmental challenges to foster independent living while keeping them close. 

With a background in affordable housing, this is exactly why Unstoppable Construction wanted to specialize in ADUs in Tucson: offering attainable infill housing solutions for our community. We firmly believe that housing is a form of healthcare, and leveraging existing assets can empower homeowners in supporting their loved ones. 

Harvard’s Joint Center for Housing Studies recently released a State of the Nation report that underscored some harsh realities: the burden of higher housing costs is of course felt more deeply by those with lower incomes. More than a third of households led by someone age 65 or older are cost burdened and pay more than 30% of their income for housing. Of these, nearly 7 million households pay over 50% of their income for housing. These figures have increased over the past four years and are trending upward. According to this report, “Because older adults are more likely to live in older homes that require more maintenance, those who are cost burdened may not be able to maintain the upkeep, thus jeopardizing their health, safety, and ability to remain in their communities as they age.”

Intergenerational living can address a variety of societal issues that are only increasing: it can reduce isolation, it can consolidate living costs, and increase access to support for one or both parties. An example of reciprocal support could be the younger generation taking care of grocery shopping and home maintenance, while the older generation provides child care and some home cooked meals (and wisdom!). Casitas can allow seniors to age in place with dignity, while increasing economic security for both parties. Additionally, another model is to house the generation below the homeowner. Students graduating from college are increasingly not able to afford a single family home on their own. A casita can offer them a safe place to land, close to support, while they build their own lives. 

While intergenerational living will not work for everyone, it is a solution for the increasing lack of opportunities available in today’s financial and healthcare landscape. If you are interested in exploring these solutions at your home, reach out to us today!