AARP Eye Center
AARP Livable Communities Map
City of Evanston (2020) Print
2020 AARP Community Challenge Grantee
Project Category
Housing
└ Accessory dwelling units, tiny homes and manufactured housing
└ Accessory dwelling units, tiny homes and manufactured housing
To help mitigate housing affordability challenges, the City of Evanston created a digital guide for homeowners looking to build accessory dwelling units to their property. Written in partnership with the Evanston Development Cooperative, the guide covers zoning, financing, design and construction, as well as information about who typically lives in ADUs. Additionally, the City hosted a webinar on ADU construction, which it recorded and posted on its website. In fall 2020, the City updated its ADU ordinance to give homeowners more flexibility, allowing them to create separate housing units either attached to or within their existing homes. Project organizers say the guidebook has helped spread the word about the update. ADU construction in Evanston has increased since the guidebook's publication and City has worked to make model ADU blueprints available to residents.
Photo Gallery
Image:
Click on a photo to learn more
See More Projects Like This One
Moro, OR
AARP Community Challenge Grant Year: 2022
Project Category: Accessory dwelling units, tiny homes and manufactured housing
Description: The City of Moro is working to update its zoning ordinance, allowing people to build a broader range of housing types. To assist homeowners interested in adding an accessory dwelling unit to their property, the City developed two sets of pre-approved construction plans for ADUs. Designed to cut down on permitting time and costs, the City provided the plans to residents at no cost. ADUs are small, additional dwelling units constructed on a property alongside a preexisting home.
Albany, NY
AARP Community Challenge Grant Year: 2023
Project Category: Accessory dwelling units, tiny homes and manufactured housing
Description: This project will provide training and assistance to nonprofit organizations and community developers as part of an effort to increase the number of municipalities that permit accessory dwelling units (ADUs) in their zoning.
New York, NY
AARP Community Challenge Grant Year: 2022
Project Category: Accessory dwelling units, tiny homes and manufactured housing
Description: This project highlighted the benefits of accessory dwelling units in a series of video interviews with older adults who live in ADUs or might benefit from doing so. The Regional Plan Association disseminated the interviews through social and traditional media.
Nearby AARP Community Challenge Projects
Wilmette, IL
AARP Community Challenge Grant Year: 2017
Project Category: Bikeability
Description: Environmental advocacy group Go Green Wilmette raised awareness of cycling through tactical urbanism, which involve short-term, low-cost changes meant to inspire longer-term improvements. The organization staged a village bicycle ride in partnership with the Wilmette Park District and Bike Wilmette. Along the route, the group installed a temporary protected bicycle lane. They did this using a pop-up toolkit they created, which includes planters, stencils and signs for use in temporary demonstrations. Go Green Wilmette later redeployed these items at school bike rodeo safety events and made them available to residents to use at block parties. In 2021, Wilmette's village board approved its Master Bike and Active Transportation Plan. Shaped by community input, the plan aims to improve pedestrian and cycling access to the Village's business district, parks, schools, transit stations and other destinations.
Chicago, IL
AARP Community Challenge Grant Year: 2024
Project Category: Walk Audits
Description: This project will conduct walk audits to identify potential visibility, sidewalk and crosswalk improvements. The organization will recruit older volunteers to participate and meet with residents, business owners and local officials to discuss their findings.
LEARN MORE AND STAY INFORMED
Find articles and resources about making communities more livable for people of all ages
Download or order free publications from AARP Livable Communities
Sign up for the free, weekly, award-winning AARP Livable Communities eNewsletter
Don't see your community listed?
LEARN HOW IT CAN JOIN THE NETWORKConnect with your AARP State Office
AARP has offices in all 50 states as well as in the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands.
AARP Illinois State Office
222 N. LaSalle Street
Suite 710
Chicago, IL 60601
United States