CANDO ADU Project
We offer hands-on support with planning, building, and renting your own Accessory Dwelling Unit (ADU)Your lot may be eligible to build an accessory dwelling unit!
Newer state regulations make it easier for you to have a backyard home:
- ADUs may be considered for any residential lot, regardless of local zoning and minimum lot size
- No impact fees on ADUs less than 750 square feet, if larger, impact fees to be proportional to main house
- Cities are required to review a submitted plan within 60 days
- ADUs are counted in the Regional Housing Needs Assessment (RHNA) which is mandated by State Housing Law as part of the process of updating local housing elements of the General Plan. In short, built ADUs can be considered resident-led affordable housing!
CANDO is here to help
A grant from the Packard Foundation makes it possible for us to provide help in all aspects, from project assessment to project completion, at no extra cost to income-qualified East Palo Alto homeowners.
In particular, EPACANDO can help with
- evaluating how an ADU can fit on your lot
- referrals to design-build teams, including access to pre-designed plans
- Financial readiness assessments and information on available financing options
- construction project management
In exchange, you agree to rent to people whose income is 80% or less of the Area Median Income (AMI), that is, to make your new unit “affordable”; that is:
You could receive rent up to $2400-$3100 per month from someone at this level, depending on the size of the unit. Sample financial scenarios below.
In only about a year, you could add a rental unit to your backyard! This can be done by taking advantage of experts available through CANDO.
What is an ADU?
“An ADU is a separate dwelling structure that is either attached (connected to) or detached (not connected to) the main house and has a full kitchen and full or partial bath.” – City of East Palo Alto
[ADU = Accessory Dwelling Unit]
Good ideas and more in this video from San Mateo County’s Second Unit Resource Center:
How do we get started?
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Make an appointment with our experts
- Contact one of our experts to work with you to further evaluate your property.
- Together, we can discuss plans for your particular lot, including how the financing might work.
By filling out the form you will be agreeing to receive a free ADU Assessment of your property within 3-5 business days and determine if you are eligible to receive additional technical assistance and project management services at no cost through our fee waiver. For more information, please contact Iliana Nicholas by email at [email protected], or calling 650-473-9838, press 5
You can make an appointment with our experts, or assess your property yourself
- an established provider
- another contractor of your choice.
This is what the full process looks like
Consider the Financials
Sample scenario
IMPORTANT! :
Since 2022 EPACANDO can help you with a CalHome loan for your ADU project! >>
By filling out the form you will be agreeing to receive a free ADU Assessment of your property within 3-5 business days and determine if you are eligible to receive additional technical assistance and project management services at no cost through our fee waiver. For more information, please contact Iliana Nicholas by email at [email protected], or calling 650-473-9838, press 5
Are there CANDO ADU projects in East Palo Alto right now?
Yes!
Four pilot projects on Beech, Gardenia, and Cypress were submitted for City approval in spring 2020. Building permits were issued in early 2021, and we expect the projects to be completed in early 2022. Tenants could be moving in as early as Summer 2022!
A pilot project on Green has a factory-built unit installed with a crane.
We will keep posting updates on the News page of this web site.
View two completed Soup projects in Menlo Park and Sunnyvale, which each use one of the floorplans .
Organizational Partners
EPACANDO works closely with City staff. For this project EPACANDO is also partnering with Soup.is, a community of designers, developers, and activists working to make housing more affordable, accessible, and beautiful for working families.
What does ‘80% AMI’ mean for the rent you can charge?
San Mateo County establishes income categories, and related maximum affordable rent payments, as a percentage of Area Median Income (AMI). In 2021, AMI in San Mateo County for a household of four was $149,600.
Households of 4 people who earn less than $146,350 or 80 percent of the [HUD] AMI are considered low-income households.
(Very low-income households earn less than $91,350 or 50 percent of the AMI, and extremely low-income households earn less than $54,800 or 30 percent of the AMI.)
For housing to be affordable, no more than 30 percent of a household’s income should be allocated for rent payments.
To put things in perspective, a 2-bedroom unit for $3,132 is considered affordable to a household earning less than 80 percent of the AMI.
| INCOME LIMITS FOR HOUSEHOLD SIZE | 1 person |
2 | 3 | 4 |
| Low Income (Less than 80% AMI) | $102,450 | $117,100 | $131,750 | $146,350 |
| MONTHLY RENTAL LIMITS | Studio | 1- Bedroom | 2- Bedroom | 3- Bedroom |
| Low Income (Less than 80% AMI) | $2,558 | $2741 | $3290 | $3801 |
Note: San Mateo County revises these charts every year in April.
(PDF: full table of maximum allowable rent at San Mateo County Housing income limits )
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ANOTHER EXAMPLE at 80% AMI: If you want to charge maximum rent for a studio [1 person], you could charge 30% of $102,450 per year, or that amount per month, 30% x $102,460/12 = $2560. (And person renting must qualify to be in the 80% AMI income category)