UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — As housing costs continue to climb, creative solutions are emerging across the country to provide affordable and adaptable housing options. An upcoming Penn State Extension land-use webinar will focus on accessory dwelling units — small houses or apartments located on the same lot as a single-family home — as a housing solution for individuals of various ages, abilities and income levels.
Presenting the 75-minute webinar at noon Oct. 18 will be Ed LeClear, of State College borough; Yocasta Lora, of AARP; and Timothy Konetchy and Anne Leavitt-Gruberger, of the Montgomery County Planning Department. LeClear and Leavitt-Gruberger also are members of the American Institute of Certified Planners.
Traditional single-family detached homes may be too costly for potential homebuyers and less suitable for communities with changing household sizes and types. Accessory dwelling units can provide an affordable alternative for neighborhoods with available space looking to moderately increase density.
However, implementing accessory dwelling units is not a simple process, organizers noted. Many communities will need to modify their local codes to expand occupancy eligibility and potential building locations, and importantly, minimize construction prices.
This webinar will provide an overview of accessory dwelling unit policies and practices. In addition, presenters will share real examples from communities in Pennsylvania and elsewhere that are rewriting their codes, overcoming political hurdles and attracting a new wave of residents.
“Accessory Dwelling Units: Removing Barriers and Encouraging Construction From the Ground Up” is the fourth webinar in Penn State Extension’s Summer/Fall 2023 Land-Use Webinar Series, which runs monthly until Nov. 15. The series is aimed at informing municipal elected and appointed officials, planners, landowners, farmers, and community organizations about land-use issues and decisions in their communities.
All webinars are recorded and available for future viewing. Other programs in the series include:
— July 19 (recorded): “Using Cargo Shipping Containers to Create Housing.”
— Aug. 16 (recorded): “Pennsylvania WalkWorks: Pennsylvania Department of Health Funding for Walking, Biking and Accessibility.”
— Sept. 21 (recorded): “Adaption-Innovation Theory and Community Planning.”
— Nov. 15: “Planner’s Use of Social Media.”
The cost of the webinar series is $50 for all five sessions, or $95 for all five sessions for those who want to receive AICP certification-maintenance credits from the American Planning Association. The cost also is $95 for all five sessions for professional engineers needing PDH credits. In addition, registered landscape architects can receive continuing-education credits for a fee of $65.
For anyone interested in a particular topic from the series, individual session registration is available for a fee of $15 per session.
For more information, contact Peter Wulfhorst at 570-296-3400 or by email at ptw3@psu.edu. To register for the webinars, visit the Penn State Extension website.