Common Council adopts ADU legislation in effort to diversify Milwaukee housing options

MILWAUKEE (CBS 58) -- Duplexes could be on the rise in Milwaukee. 

The city's Common Council is allowing accessory dwelling units-or ADUs- to be built in neighborhoods without notifying the community. 

ADUs are essentially when a full kitchen, bathroom, and sleeping area are built in addition to a home. These can be duplexes or in basements and attics of single-family homes. 

Supporters of ADUs have argued they allow aging families or generational families to live close to one another and provide long-term care. 

Tuesday, Alderman Spiker proposed legislation that would require approval to build these ADUs, and that proposal failed. 

"I am even more against this amendment that Alderman Spiker has before us than I was against his original substitute in committee that restricted only internal," said Ald. JoCasta Zamarripa. "This one is even more, across the board, affecting ADUs and making it more burdensome, so I do not support this amendment."

In a statement, Common Council President Jose Perez said:

"We've worked hard to get to this point. When it comes to diversity of housing options, Milwaukee needs to stay in alignment with its peer cities and the region as a whole. ADUs are a commonly used tool that yields a variety of benefits for cities and residents such as creating more affordable and intergenerational housing. I'm thankful that a majority of my colleagues saw fit to pass a less restrictive version of my ADU legislation that provides us with another option to continue to tackle our city’s housing issues."

Those opposed to the restrictions argued that ADUs may not completely fix a housing crisis in Milwaukee but still would help significantly.