Santa Barbara County Pushes For More Housing With Streamlined ADU Plans

ORCUTT, Calif. (KEYT) – New free, and pre-approved options from Santa Barbara County can now help California's housing crisis by encouraging unincorporated areas the county build more ADUs, or Accessory Dwelling Units.

An ADU can take a few different forms, such as a separated modular home or ‘pool house,’ or it can be an attached living space that’s been converted from something like a garage. They are designed for permanent, independent living, but is associated with an existing or planned primary residence.

While cities such as Santa Maria and Lompoc offer permits for many flexible options of ADUs that the homeowner can design, they are associated with their usual costs.

Unincorporated county jurisdictions such as Guadalupe and Orcutt, however, can now utilize these free, pre-approved and pre-designed options from the County of Santa Barbara Planning Department.

These streamlined plans seek to comply with state laws Assembly Bill 2221 and Senate Bill 897, offering non-discretionary approval processes for units up to 1,200 square feet.

The goal of these state mandates is in response to the ongoing housing crisis, seeking to increase housing options across the board for everyone.

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