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Benefits of Accessory Dwelling Units <br />ADUs have been around for many years (as seen in historical homes and neighborhoods) but <br />their construction declined in the mid -twentieth century for a variety of reasons. Changing <br />preferences and restrictive land use regulations reduced housing flexibility and limited the <br />availability of housing options for diverse needs. For example, ADU housing was common <br />in Chicago during the first half of the 20th century and then ADU construction diminished <br />beginning in 1957 after the adoption of a zoning ordinance necessitating parking and <br />prohibiting secondary residential structures on residential lots.' Now, many of the nation's <br />ADUs can be found in older neighborhoods and in communities where regulations have <br />been updated to allow for more housing diversity. <br />Many communities support the development of new ADUs to increase housing choice, discreetly house more <br />residents within existing neighborhoods, decrease housing costs for owners and renters, and accommodate <br />multigenerational living (See Exhibit 1 on next page). <br />ADUs can blend into single-family <br />neighborhoods. Many communities <br />have vast areas with single-family <br />residential uses which can <br />accommodate ADUs. <br />r�� <br />