Accessory Dwelling Unit? What is it and what are the benefits?

What in the world is an Accessory Dwelling Unit you ask?

There was recently an article written in our local newspaper about the new ordinance that we are trying to get our city to pass. The article made me furious! The reporter wrote about the concerns people had, but did not mention any of the benefits the new ordinance would provide. So for anyone who wants to know, here is what we are trying to get the city to approve and what I have researched and found out about Accessory Dwelling Units.
Accessory Dwelling Units may be located inside of or attached to a single family dwelling, or in a detached structure like a garage. The accessory dwelling unit must be a complete housekeeping unit with an entrance, kitchen, sleeping area, closet space, and bathroom facility.

Development of accessory dwelling units can be traced back to the early twentieth century, when they were a common feature in single-family housing. After World War II, an increased demand for housing led to a boom­ing suburban population. Characterized by large lots and an emphasis on the nuclear family, suburban devel­opment conformed to Euclidean-type zoning codes, a system of land-use regulations that segregate districts according to use. Accessory Dwelling Units have become an important component of the housing stock in many communities-both large and small-in the United States.
We explained to the city that we feel that this would be a great benefit to the residents of North Ogden. It would allow families to stay together and not have to move out of the area because they cannot afford the living expenses. By providing housing on existing lots in developed neighborhoods, ADUs provide more housing units, and options for housing, where the roads and utilities already exist.We had a public meeting to talk about this ordinance and there were several residents that came. When we were done the majority of those who came were in favor of this ordinance. In fact, one man shared that he wished they would have known about this ordinance because he and his wife just had to sell their home and move to a different city because their home was to much for them to keep up with.
Accessory dwelling units offer a variety of benefits to com­munities. They help increase a community’s housing supply, and since they cost less than a new single-family home on a separate lot, they are an affordable housing option for many low- and moderate-income residents. Elderly and/or disabled persons who may want to live close to family members or caregivers, and empty nesters, find ADUs convenient and affordable.

Accessory dwelling units have other advantages as well. They can be designed to blend in with the surrounding architecture, maintaining compatibility with established neighborhoods and preserving community character. Furthermore, there is no need to develop new infrastruc­ture, since ADUs can be connected to the existing utilities of a primary dwelling. Allowing ADUs facilitates efficient use of existing housing stock, helps meet the demand for housing, and offers an alternative to major zoning changes that can significantly alter neighborhoods. They can also prevent the proliferation of rental dwellings, absentee ownership, property disinvestment, building code violations, and associated decline in quality of single-family residential neighborhoods.

In doing the research, I found several communities that already have this ordinance in place or are in the process of writing up the ordinance to allow accessory dwelling units in their city's. 

In the American Planning Association's September/October newsletter, they discussed the need for more Accessory Dwelling Units and the benefits of them.