Ryan O’Housing
@howtoadu.bsky.social
Helping homeowners build houses in their backyards YouTube.com/c/howtoadu
That’s a big hurrah too!!! Thanks for weighing in Alfred. You know I also respect your general opinion and local knowledge a ton
October 29, 2025 at 2:37 AM
That’s a big hurrah too!!! Thanks for weighing in Alfred. You know I also respect your general opinion and local knowledge a ton
And I need to hear out the public comment just like you to understand local sentiment too. You have a hard job balancing all these trade offs and I respect yall immensely.
October 29, 2025 at 2:05 AM
And I need to hear out the public comment just like you to understand local sentiment too. You have a hard job balancing all these trade offs and I respect yall immensely.
I totally understand that and support your view. I think we will help marginally more people by creating more homes, rental inventory, and ownership opportunities but I could imagine a world where your supplemental is the best way to deliver on ADU’s promise. Would love to talk in person in detail
October 29, 2025 at 2:04 AM
I totally understand that and support your view. I think we will help marginally more people by creating more homes, rental inventory, and ownership opportunities but I could imagine a world where your supplemental is the best way to deliver on ADU’s promise. Would love to talk in person in detail
Hah yeah — I figured I’d post anyway and people will have time to read/digest it all. Love your work. Keep it up!
fwiw, i would love to talk with you about the pros and cons of protections here. There are a couple things I didn’t shoehorn into this format that might inform your policy!
fwiw, i would love to talk with you about the pros and cons of protections here. There are a couple things I didn’t shoehorn into this format that might inform your policy!
October 29, 2025 at 1:52 AM
Hah yeah — I figured I’d post anyway and people will have time to read/digest it all. Love your work. Keep it up!
fwiw, i would love to talk with you about the pros and cons of protections here. There are a couple things I didn’t shoehorn into this format that might inform your policy!
fwiw, i would love to talk with you about the pros and cons of protections here. There are a couple things I didn’t shoehorn into this format that might inform your policy!
Link to Lunaparra supplemental berkeleyca.gov/sites/defaul...
berkeleyca.gov
October 29, 2025 at 1:40 AM
Link to Lunaparra supplemental berkeleyca.gov/sites/defaul...
Link to the agenda: berkeleyca.gov/sites/defaul... page 407-415 (not a typo) of that PDF
or just ADU part: berkeleyca.gov/sites/defaul...
or just ADU part: berkeleyca.gov/sites/defaul...
berkeleyca.gov
October 29, 2025 at 1:40 AM
Link to the agenda: berkeleyca.gov/sites/defaul... page 407-415 (not a typo) of that PDF
or just ADU part: berkeleyca.gov/sites/defaul...
or just ADU part: berkeleyca.gov/sites/defaul...
Just my 2 cents. I could be wrong! But this is my take after studying a lot of markets with ADUs and ADU condos. Thank you for coming to my ted talk. And thank you to CM @cecilialunaparra.bsky.social who is a housing champion with a great record and a thoughtful supplemental
October 29, 2025 at 1:40 AM
Just my 2 cents. I could be wrong! But this is my take after studying a lot of markets with ADUs and ADU condos. Thank you for coming to my ted talk. And thank you to CM @cecilialunaparra.bsky.social who is a housing champion with a great record and a thoughtful supplemental
I'm also relatively open to doing it the other way around, but it's hard to take away tenant protections (hard for tenants, housing providers, and city staff!) whereas it's relatively easy to go the other way around.
October 29, 2025 at 1:40 AM
I'm also relatively open to doing it the other way around, but it's hard to take away tenant protections (hard for tenants, housing providers, and city staff!) whereas it's relatively easy to go the other way around.
If, in the first couple years, ma and pa homeowners are not renting out or converting, then it makes sense to revisit Lunaparra's supplemental and implement something like it. At that time, we could also check and see if the type 2 developers I talked about would be affected.
October 29, 2025 at 1:40 AM
If, in the first couple years, ma and pa homeowners are not renting out or converting, then it makes sense to revisit Lunaparra's supplemental and implement something like it. At that time, we could also check and see if the type 2 developers I talked about would be affected.
So here's what I'd do: let's adopt as proposed today and see what happens over the first couple years. If ma and pa homeowners are renting and/or converting to condos, I would actually let the ordinance stand as is with the carveouts.
October 29, 2025 at 1:40 AM
So here's what I'd do: let's adopt as proposed today and see what happens over the first couple years. If ma and pa homeowners are renting and/or converting to condos, I would actually let the ordinance stand as is with the carveouts.
For type 2, the supplemental may not actually matter as much. Type 2 is building the ADU specifically to sell it so they will never rent it anyway. And most of the development of condo ADUs in mature markets tends to be by type 2 within a couple years of these types of ordinances being adopted.
October 29, 2025 at 1:40 AM
For type 2, the supplemental may not actually matter as much. Type 2 is building the ADU specifically to sell it so they will never rent it anyway. And most of the development of condo ADUs in mature markets tends to be by type 2 within a couple years of these types of ordinances being adopted.
If we adopt the supplemental, type 1 may still build the ADU but they will often be reluctant to ever rent it out because they are scared of not being able to convert it and sell it later. They will keep it in the family. This is not the end of the world, but it dampens the benefit of the ADU
October 29, 2025 at 1:40 AM
If we adopt the supplemental, type 1 may still build the ADU but they will often be reluctant to ever rent it out because they are scared of not being able to convert it and sell it later. They will keep it in the family. This is not the end of the world, but it dampens the benefit of the ADU
So for type 1 - ma and pa homeowners. This is where we have historically argued the chilling effects of tenant protections. Beware of tenant protections that discourage ma and pa. The city council has heard this argument and sided with us every time which is great.
October 29, 2025 at 1:40 AM
So for type 1 - ma and pa homeowners. This is where we have historically argued the chilling effects of tenant protections. Beware of tenant protections that discourage ma and pa. The city council has heard this argument and sided with us every time which is great.
Basically, speculators start building ADUs as condo flips. And that creates homeownership opportunities at MUCH lower prices.
In Berkeley, the median home price sale is around $1.5 million where the median condo sale is under $800k according to Redfin (shoutout: @hatethegamebook.com )
In Berkeley, the median home price sale is around $1.5 million where the median condo sale is under $800k according to Redfin (shoutout: @hatethegamebook.com )
October 29, 2025 at 1:40 AM
Basically, speculators start building ADUs as condo flips. And that creates homeownership opportunities at MUCH lower prices.
In Berkeley, the median home price sale is around $1.5 million where the median condo sale is under $800k according to Redfin (shoutout: @hatethegamebook.com )
In Berkeley, the median home price sale is around $1.5 million where the median condo sale is under $800k according to Redfin (shoutout: @hatethegamebook.com )
Type 1: Ma and Pa's who are building one ADU and converting it for separate sale.
Type 2: Speculators who are building for separate sale from day one (these are new with condo ADUs, but we see them emerge in mature markets like Portland, Seattle and Austin)
Type 2: Speculators who are building for separate sale from day one (these are new with condo ADUs, but we see them emerge in mature markets like Portland, Seattle and Austin)
October 29, 2025 at 1:40 AM
Type 1: Ma and Pa's who are building one ADU and converting it for separate sale.
Type 2: Speculators who are building for separate sale from day one (these are new with condo ADUs, but we see them emerge in mature markets like Portland, Seattle and Austin)
Type 2: Speculators who are building for separate sale from day one (these are new with condo ADUs, but we see them emerge in mature markets like Portland, Seattle and Austin)
Personal take: we should adopt the ordinance without Lunaparra's supplemental, for now. There are 2 types of ADU builders we should think about while we consider the ordinance and supplemental.
October 29, 2025 at 1:40 AM
Personal take: we should adopt the ordinance without Lunaparra's supplemental, for now. There are 2 types of ADU builders we should think about while we consider the ordinance and supplemental.
I'll go into more detail about my personal takes, but reasonable people could support Lunaparra's supplemental (and that CM is generally awesome for housing) or support the ordinance as proposed.
October 29, 2025 at 1:40 AM
I'll go into more detail about my personal takes, but reasonable people could support Lunaparra's supplemental (and that CM is generally awesome for housing) or support the ordinance as proposed.
My view at the moment, as an outsider to Berkeley who just helps homeowners there, is that this may have a chilling effect on the rental, sale or conversion of these types of units. But, having said that, it is a more reasonable place for these types of tenant protections so we can consider it
October 29, 2025 at 1:40 AM
My view at the moment, as an outsider to Berkeley who just helps homeowners there, is that this may have a chilling effect on the rental, sale or conversion of these types of units. But, having said that, it is a more reasonable place for these types of tenant protections so we can consider it
Namely, Lunaparra's supplemental would:
-Prohibit ADU Condo Conversion that include any no fault evictions (and more) for the previous 10 years
-Require tenant's right of first refusal to purchase the ADU
-Require tenants' indefinite right of occupancy
-Prohibit ADU Condo Conversion that include any no fault evictions (and more) for the previous 10 years
-Require tenant's right of first refusal to purchase the ADU
-Require tenants' indefinite right of occupancy
October 29, 2025 at 1:40 AM
Namely, Lunaparra's supplemental would:
-Prohibit ADU Condo Conversion that include any no fault evictions (and more) for the previous 10 years
-Require tenant's right of first refusal to purchase the ADU
-Require tenants' indefinite right of occupancy
-Prohibit ADU Condo Conversion that include any no fault evictions (and more) for the previous 10 years
-Require tenant's right of first refusal to purchase the ADU
-Require tenants' indefinite right of occupancy
The ordinance on tonight's agenda "as proposed" would allow the separate sale of ADUs and it would continue to carve out exceptions to most of the rent control and tenant protections I'm talking about. My quick skim of Lunaparra's amendment would include more tenant protections.
October 29, 2025 at 1:40 AM
The ordinance on tonight's agenda "as proposed" would allow the separate sale of ADUs and it would continue to carve out exceptions to most of the rent control and tenant protections I'm talking about. My quick skim of Lunaparra's amendment would include more tenant protections.
The important context here is that ADUs are often developed by ma and pa homeowners who are not professional landlords. In the past, we have successfully argued that very strict rent control or tenant protections may scare ma and pa homeowners out of developing ADUs and hurt overall
October 29, 2025 at 1:40 AM
The important context here is that ADUs are often developed by ma and pa homeowners who are not professional landlords. In the past, we have successfully argued that very strict rent control or tenant protections may scare ma and pa homeowners out of developing ADUs and hurt overall
There is an option to support or oppose an amendment by @cecilialunaparra.bsky.social and I will give my 2 cents right now but reserve the right to change my mind after hearing the council and public out.
October 29, 2025 at 1:40 AM
There is an option to support or oppose an amendment by @cecilialunaparra.bsky.social and I will give my 2 cents right now but reserve the right to change my mind after hearing the council and public out.