en.Wedoany.com Reported - The city of Anchorage, Alaska, USA, announced this spring a pre-approved accessory dwelling unit (ADU) program, offering free design plans to the public to accelerate residential development and alleviate ongoing housing shortages. The city commissioned Seattle-based architecture firm workshop AD and local Alaskan company WILMWORKS to each design a set of plans.

The Williwaw ADU designed by workshop AD is a two-story unit featuring a two-car garage and foyer on the first floor, with a bedroom, bathroom, kitchen, living and dining space, and a small corner office on the second floor. WILMWORKS, in collaboration with Tori Hickel Design, created the Nearpoint ADU – a vaulted-roof, 460-square-foot one-bedroom unit with an optional interior finish package provided by Tori Hickel Design.

"I just hope young people can stay and live in Anchorage," said Clare Ross, representative of the Anchorage Assembly's Legislative Services Office. "That means we need to have a wide variety of housing. We need more apartment buildings, more single-family homes, and more ADUs." Ross's statement underscores the importance of diverse residential development in retaining the city's young population.

Anchorage municipal government departments have created a checklist guiding residents step-by-step through residential development adjacent to accessory dwelling units, including costs for each stage. Items such as building permits and land assessments need to be independently obtained and determined, with material cost estimates expected to be released this summer. An engineering class at the University of Alaska Anchorage will also draw up and publish additional design plans this summer. If the program proceeds smoothly, it may further introduce residential development designs encompassing other types of housing.

In 2023, the Anchorage Assembly amended land use regulations, establishing an initial path for this residential development program. Accessory dwelling units are part of a broader housing initiative, with the city setting an overall goal of constructing 10,000 housing units within 10 years. Anchorage is one of the latest U.S. cities to launch an ADU program, following cities such as New York City and Boise, Idaho.

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