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ADU fees are extortion for homeowners

After years of neglect, our City Council has finally advocated for affordable housing and directed the planning staff to address the matter. Unfortunately, regulations now being implemented regarding accessory dwelling units, or ADUs, will actually make these needed small apartments fewer in number and more expensive.

Over the years, in the absence of city policy, it’s been homeowners that have taken on this challenge by creating small apartments in their houses or investment properties to accommodate needed and affordable housing. These “illegal apartments” have been vital to the community’s housing needs.

Now, as part of the new ADU regulations the city is threatening to actively shut down these apartments or charge homeowners exorbitant fees to allow their continued use. These fees are between $5,000 and $11,000. This is extortion. These fees will either cause the removal of the apartment because the homeowner can’t afford to pay them, or the fees will be passed on to the renter, raising rents even higher.

It was recently predicted that 900 new dwelling units would be needed to accommodate projected growth in Durango. According to the planning staff, to date, not a single person has applied for a new ADU permit. Why? Because the costs and fees make it prohibitive.

It appears that the council and planning staff have missed the overall goal and are seemingly unaware of the negative impact these new ADU regulations will have. If our city government thinks this is the way to provide affordable housing, then perhaps we need a new City Council and a planning director that better understand the dynamics it takes to provide affordable housing.

Geoff Lowminsky

Durango



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