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After reviewing conditions, challenges, and opportunities in the Twin Cities, as well as <br />successful measures nationwide, the ECONorthwest team recommends pursuing a navigator <br />model that supports ADUs throughout the region. Focusing resources —from funding to staff <br />time —in a navigator would develop both broad and deep expertise in the ADU landscape <br />across the region and efficiently provide a one -stop -shop for homeowners, developers, and <br />builders to understand the possibilities and process for building an ADU. Given tangible <br />adjustments in city codes, opportunities for collaboration and strategic communication <br />among partners, and the significant interest expressed from builders, architects, and public <br />sector leaders, the Twin Cities is well positioned to develop an ADU navigator. <br />ECONorthwest recommends a navigator model that would offer technical assistance in the form of self-service tools <br />and direct services to facilitate the development of ADUs in the Twin Cities. This technical assistance could include: <br />OFFERING TOOLS: Self-service tools can help <br />homeowners work through many of the early steps of <br />ADU development to determine whether it is feasible <br />on their property. These tools could include online FAQ <br />documents, a graphic summary of the ADU development <br />process, a workbook with exercises for setting goals, <br />an ADU calculator providing high-level cost estimates, <br />and/or an address look -up tool leveraging online maps <br />and zoning data to determine whether a specific parcel <br />meets local code requirements to add an ADU. The ADU <br />navigator would develop, host, promote, and maintain <br />these tools over time. <br />PROVIDING DIRECT SERVICES: Compared to a resource <br />library, a defining feature of a navigator is the ability to <br />provide services to potential ADU owners to understand <br />and manage the development process. Combining <br />expertise in local ADU rules and feasibility with a customer <br />service orientation can help catalyze ADU development <br />in the Twin Cities. Some of the most effective services <br />offered by other navigators include: hosting webinars on <br />local guidelines for ADU design and approval; providing <br />consultations to review ADU plans and feasibility with <br />potential ADU owners; curating a library of ADU designs <br />from local architects; organizing tours so individuals can <br />see successful ADU projects; and offering ADU policy <br />guidance to local jurisdictions. The model would also <br />include building a coalition to explore and advance <br />recommendations to support ADU uptake. Broad coalitions <br />have proven to be extremely effective in galvanizing <br />legislative support for ADUs in Oregon, California, and <br />Connecticut, three states to date that have passed the <br />most pro-ADU legislation in the country. Coalitions in these <br />and other states have demonstrated that ADUs can provide <br />an important bridge between a variety of issues, such as <br />increasing housing supply, advancing equitable wealth - <br />building, developing age -friendly units, and supporting <br />energy efficiency housing. In the Twin Cities, there is a rich <br />ecosystem of organizations working on these issues —ripe <br />for building a coalition. <br />In geographies across the country, ADUs are <br />adding affordable options to the housing supply <br />to help combat severe shortages and rising rents. <br />The Twin Cities region should be among those <br />success stories. <br />