In 2018, Santa Rosa property owners filed 118 applications to add secondary homes to their lots, adding more “granny units” in one year than it did in an entire decade.

The new regulations approved in 2017, rolled back many of the strict policies that kept homeowners from building or least building legally. Among the changes was a fee adjustment from $22,000 to about $4,000 for a unit that is 750 square feet or smaller and the elimination of a requirement that homeowners live on-site.

The changes are among many in Santa Rosa, Sonoma County and the state that were passed in hopes of alleviating a historic shortage of affordable housing in the wake of the October 2017 wildfires.

For prospective home buyers, a granny unit can be a big draw for multi-generation families looking for a space for grandma and gramps. In addition, they can be rented out to help to defray mortgage costs.

Curious to see some of the homes currently on the market with granny units? Click through our gallery above.