Pittsburgh City Council is looking to expand the availability of accessory dwelling units such as attic, basement and garage apartments and secondary structures built on existing properties — all in an effort to combat what it sees as an affordable housing crisis.

Legislation introduced last week by Councilwoman Deb Gross would require Mayor Ed Gainey’s administration to produce a report by late November outlining the existing number of accessory dwelling units in the city, regulations applying to them, permit fees to build new ones and proposals to incentivize the development of new units.

Gross said detached accessory units, known as “backyard houses,” used to be common in the city. Some still exist today, but current zoning doesn’t allow for new ones to be built, she said.

“Many cities, in fact many states now, have permitted these structures,” Gross said, citing California, New Hampshire, Vermont, Oregon and Rhode Island as examples. “This is just the beginning of a conversation so that council can have more facts in front of it.”

The idea of allowing — or even incentivizing — accessory dwelling units comes as the city grapples with what officials have called a shortage of affordable housing options.

The legislation, referring to a 2016 Affordable Housing Task Force report, said the city has a 14,896-unit deficit in available affordable housing units for residents earning 30% of the area median income. That figure “has undoubtedly grown since the inception of the covid-19 pandemic,” the legislation said.

“This could be a piece of the puzzle for affordable housing,” said Councilman Anthony Coghill, a co-sponsor of the legislation.

Coghill said residents could construct affordable accessory dwelling units in their backyards to bolster the city’s affordable housing stock. Having added income from renting out those units could make people’s mortgages more affordable, and the extra structures could increase property values, he added.

Gross said she thought the legislation could help older residents be able to stay in their communities. They could move into accessory dwelling units on a family member’s property or make staying in their own homes more affordable by allowing them to rent out extra units to help cover costs.

The legislation could be ready for a final vote as soon as next week.

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A spokesperson for the mayor’s office did not immediately return requests for comment.

Council members have said addressing affordable housing and homelessness in the city is a priority. Council President Theresa Kail-Smith recently suggested constructing tiny homes to give homeless people a safe place to stay.

City Council in April voted to expand inclusionary zoning — which requires a portion of all housing developments be designated as affordable housing — to the Bloomfield and Polish Hills neighborhoods. Inclusionary zoning is also in effect in Lawrenceville.

Still, Gross and other council members have said that local leaders need to find additional ways to increase the availability of affordable housing. Councilman Ricky Burgess has suggested taking out bonds to fund additional units, and has advocated for providing additional services for people who are homeless or moving into affordable housing units.

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