A competition seeking to bring down the cost of designing affordable housing in Tucson announced 10 winning model plan proposals, which netted their designers $1,000 each.The competition, funded by a $12,000 grant from AARP, aimed to make it easier for people to build more housing by focusing on casitas. Also known as accessory dwelling units, casitas are small homes built on lots behind already existing residences. They are part of Tucson’s solution to increase affordable housing. Dan Bursuck, the code development manager for the city’s Planning and Development Services Department noted the cost of permitting plans can reach thousands of dollars for accessory dwelling units.He said having model plans from the competition available for $55 greatly reduces the cost of designing a small house. Creating a library of pre-made designs means that homeowners can avoid forking out thousands of dollars to hire a designer and develop individual plans for their lot, he said.Tucson tiny homes:Easing regulations in city limitsThe top 10 designs won the designers $1,000, and a free plan review for adherence to the city’s building codes.Those designs and others will be posted to a new city website, along with the cost to buy those plans, and the cost for a personalized site plan. The website is slated to be launched in early 2024. The website will allow homeowners to browse the online gallery, choose a design, and connect with its designer to proceed with the necessary steps to purchase plans and permit the unit.One designer who submitted his casita plan to the competition said he has only seen a handful of these types of competitions. Andrew Mizell, who has been designing buildings for 20 years, told The Arizona Republic, “Tucson is one of the rare places where they are making it easier to build things.””Having a project like this is useful. … It costs a lot of money to hire someone to build a house for you,” he said, noting that designing a house is typically for higher-income residents.The submissions varied in color, shape, and materials. …
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