December 29, 2024 update:
We firmly believe that the most efficient and pragmatic solution to the housing and homelessness crisis is to build more housing at all levels of affordability. Accessory dwelling units (ADUs) are an example of “missing middle” housing that Huntsville desperately needs. To learn more about what ADUs are and why we want Huntsville to legalize them, check out our petition landing page.
Already convinced that building homes that middle-income families in Huntsville can afford should be legal? Awesome! Here are a few ways you can help:
Sign Our Petition
If you haven’t already, sign our petition to legalize accessory dwelling units in Huntsville. Then, share it with your friends! (Access the petition itself rather than the landing page here.)
Write to City Hall
Voice your support for ADUs to our local government. Contact the Planning Department, the Mayor’s office, and your City Council member, to tell them that you want accessory dwelling units back on the agenda. Stay positive, but stress the importance of bringing more affordable housing options to Huntsville.
Not sure how to get in touch with City Hall? We’ve compiled a list of contact information here!
Other resources for getting up to speed on ADUs:
- Legalize Housing: Our campaign landing page is a good primer on what ADUs are and why we want Huntsville to legalize them.
- ADUs in AL.com: Read housing GOAT Scott Turner’s coverage of the controversy.
- Public Comment Highlights: Listen to our comment at the June 27th City Council Meeting.
- ADUs on News Channel 19: We spoke to Archie Snowden about the need to legalize ADUs.
- Digging deeper into the ADU ordinance: Cathy Reisenwitz detailed the ADU ordinance Huntsville’s planning commission approved in June 2024.
- ADU Case Studies: This AARP roundup summarizes ADU ordinances from cities across the US.
Past updates
In July we hosted two postcard writing parties to voice our support for ADUs.
In June, July, and August several of us spoke at City Council meetings in favor of legalizing ADUs. We even inspired few others, some of whom we hadn’t even met, to devote some of their three minutes of speaking time to our efforts. An ordinance to legalize ADUs made it onto the posted agenda for the 6/13 City Council Meeting. But mere hours before that meeting, the Council, at the request of Planning, pulled the ADU ordinance item off the agenda for “further review.” Mayor Battle told us publicly, however, that he and the Council have received a roughly equal number of private calls and emails in favor of and against it. Dozens of people have been willing to publicly support ADUs. One person has spoken publicly against legalization since we began our campaign. It’s almost as if opponents are loathe to reveal their reasoning. Which makes sense to us, since the only reason to oppose legalizing ADUs is a desire to keep housing unaffordable and to avoid having to live near people who make less money. Any ordinance the City is would even consider passing will address every other potential concern, including parking, traffic, and aesthetics. Indeed, the ordinance that made it onto the June agenda addressed all of these concerns. Every other concern, such as the idea that ADUs will make housing less affordable on-net, is clearly contradicted by research, what happened in other cities, and common fucking sense.