ADUs and LA's Remote Workforce
October 13, 2024
Updated November 19, 2024
Updated November 19, 2024
Chris Koss, AIA
It's no secret that finding a rental in Los Angeles can be frustrating, discouraging, and exhausting. During my Los Angeles rental search, I watched dozens of promising rental listings appear and disappear from my favorites list. Living, carless, in a walkable slice of a car-dominant city, I of course prioritized rental units near my new office. I quickly learned the ignorance of my optimism in that my idea was by no means original: naturally, people want to live close to friends, and family, and where they make their livelihood. But in this densely populated, highly sought-after urban area where we live, everyone I knew in 2019 made one of two sacrifices: live close to work but far from friends & family, or waste as much as 2.5 hours in traffic every day but live close to friends & family. But then the unexpectable, once-in-a-century novel plague happened.
As a result of Covid-19, remote work has been proven to be more effective and efficient than in-office work.
Moving to downtown Los Angeles from Lawrence, Kansas in 2019, I would never have guessed: how much of my income I would spend to live in a 160-square-foot studio for my 7-minute walkable commute; a virus would change the world as we knew it, turning my walkable neighborhood utopia plan on its head and shifting my perspective towards giving back to the city; and how grateful I would eventually be for my 12-minute walkable commute now in a 470 square foot studio where I've lived since 2020. In the short time I've spent here, I understand the respect our enrichment our communities deserve.
There is no greater basic need than housing, which has become more difficult than ever to achieve here in Los Angeles. I believe ADUs pose a once-in-a-generation opportunity to experience the American dream in our international city. Unsurprisingly, not everyone wants to live in a cramped apartment complex but not everyone can afford to live in a two-bedroom single-family house. With 74% of the city's residential land zoned for single-family homes, no wonder Angelenos prefer quaint houses over an apartment. However, the average rent for a two-bedroom house/SFR in Los Angeles, California is $3,973. Few can afford to spend $4,000 of their income on housing, so they don't even consider single-family rentals. Fulfilling this demand, ADUs offer high-quality, more affordable single-family housing options than traditional single-family rentals.
Remote work has become the new norm, with 91 million Americans now having the option to work remotely at least part-time. Meanwhile, the freelance economy continues to grow, with over 64 million freelancers leveraging remote flexibility to work from any location, including ADU-style spaces that merge home life and work life seamlessly.
Balancing work and personal life is crucial—many remote workers cite difficulties unplugging at the end of the day as one of their biggest challenges. ADUs offer a practical remedy by providing dedicated office space away from the main living areas, creating a physical boundary between work and relaxation. These units can also double as guest houses, perfect for freelancers hosting clients or accommodating visiting family, enhancing both personal and professional experiences.
"Sure, but aren't ADUs smaller?"
ADUs vary in size just as much as any house would, especially given how many different uses one may have. Even so, according to the LA Department of Building & Safety, the average ADU is 800 square feet, or roughly the size of a house in Europe.
Employers report a 66% increase in productivity among remote teams, attributing this surge to the freedom and autonomy of remote work. ADUs can support this productivity boost by offering a quiet, customized environment that encourages focus. Many remote professionals and creatives in LA also find that switching between their primary home and an ADU office sparks creativity, adding to the appeal of flexible ADU use.
As Los Angeles continues to attract freelancers and remote employees, ADUs are becoming an investment in both lifestyle and income. Homeowners with ADUs can tap into the thriving demand for remote work-friendly rentals, maximizing the value of their property. For remote work professionals, renting an ADU brings the added benefits of privacy, fewer distractions, and a healthier work-life balance to single-family living in Los Angeles.
ADUs are poised to play a significant role in shaping LA’s post-pandemic work culture. With remote work trends continuing to grow, these spaces offer a sustainable way to adapt to new professional lifestyles while fostering personal well-being and community ties.
