I was still living in California when they changed rules to allow for it and the cost to build an ADU was prohibitive at us$200k. I dont know how you make it cheaper, but if home owners can not afford to build, it will never get done.

EDIT : After thinking some more there are a few ways to encourage it. Zero interest loans or gov subsidy to help pay for construction. Expedited permit process. It would have to be coupled with rent controls though, otherwise the property owner is just profiting at everyone else’s expense.

Subdivided bungalows are not the way.

But if they’re not going to actually address the problem and instead want to kick it down the street, may as well start the fiddles and toast the bread in the flames.

The US has been much more aggressive on housing, despite having a much smaller problem. But I think, fundamentally, Canada has a more functional political system at almost all levels. The problem in Canada has been a lack of political will.

The article mentions that a lot of the roadblocks are still cultural and legal. A judge in Minneapolis forcing single family zoning to be reinstated, NIMBYs blocking new construction through consultations, lack of small developers because this demand is new, lack of industrial knowledge or business precedents, etc. These are political and institutional obstacles. I think it will take years, if not decades, but that’s no reason to give up. Once all the pieces are in place, I think results will snowball.