Encouraging homeowners to build "granny flats" in their backyards could be a key to boosting affordable housing supply in Florida.
Also known as accessory dwelling units, or ADUs, the state defines them as additional living quarters on single-family lots that are separate from the primary residence and have a standalone kitchen, bathroom and sleeping area.
Building more of them was one of several policy recommendations made by housing experts during a panel hosted by the University of South Florida last week as part of its Debate-A-Bull Speaker Series.
"The three most important things in real estate are: location, location, location. The three most important things in housing affordability are: smaller lot, smaller lot, smaller lot,” co-director of right-leaning think tank AEI Housing Center Ed Pinto said.
According to a September housing market analysis by the institute, Florida is short 486,000 homes, or 4.7% of its overall housing stock, “squeezing families out of home ownership, pushing rents higher, and forcing workers to commute farther from jobs and schools.”
Incentivizing the construction of these extra units, along with other dwelling types, like duplexes, triplexes and townhomes, on existing lots could add up to 42,500 homes annually in Florida, according to the policy report.
But first, they must be allowed.
Zoning hurdles
Pinto said local zoning dictates development — and right now, across the greater Tampa Bay region, it’s dictating large homes on larger lots.
“If it's legal to build single-family detached only, you will get a McMansion,” he said. “If it's legal to build three or four townhomes on a lot of 3,000 square feet and subdivide the lot, you will get townhomes.”
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The City of Tampa recently reformed its zoning policy to allow granny flats in specific areas. City code now allows their construction in Seminole Heights, around Lowry Park, the East Tampa Overlay and the Tampa Heights Overlay.
Regulations around ADUs are set at the local level, but that could change.
Earlier this year, state lawmakers considered a bill to require local governments to adopt ordinances allowing ADUs in certain areas. The House and Senate each passed versions of the proposal, but did not reach an agreement on a final version. Bill sponsor Sen. Don Gaetz has already filed a similar version of the proposal, SB 48, for the 2026 legislative session.
NIMBYism
Panelist Jacob Cremer is an attorney and managing partner at Barbas Cremer, PLLC, who specializes in land development issues with local governments.
During the Sept. 20 panel, he said “NIMBYism,” or the “not in my backyard” attitude held by some property owners, also hurts pro-housing developments.
“The hardest projects, by far, that I work on are in Tampa. They're in South Tampa. They're in places in cities where rich people live,” Cremer said. “You know why? They show up and they oppose every single project. They oppose duplexes, they oppose high rises, they oppose … ADUs. They oppose everything.”
In a policy brief published by the Mercatus Center at George Mason University, Cremer recommends local governments streamline land development codes to encourage housing production, like permitting ADUs.
“We've created a system that encourages neighbors to show up and have a war with each other over whether the grandma can build an ADU,” Cremer said.
In the co-authored report, he also recommends that Florida tie state funding to whether local governments are growing aggressively enough.
Manatee County Commissioner George Kruse agreed with panelists about the dire need for affordable housing but pushed back on proposals to do away with Florida’s growth management system, which requires cities and counties to develop comprehensive plans to guide development.
“It basically ties our hands. It ties cities’, counties’ hands. [It] makes us incapable of thinking for ourselves, making sure we’re managing [growth],” he said.
Author and lecturer Jason Vuic brought a historical perspective to the panel about Florida’s growth.
Quoting USF historian Gary Mormino, Vuic said, “What does Florida do for a living? Florida grows.”
Gabriella Paul covers the stories of people living paycheck to paycheck in the greater Tampa Bay region for WUSF. Here’s how you can share your story with her.
