What does an ADU mean to you?
Make Room for
Family
What do ADUs mean to you?
MULTIGENERATIONAL
Housing For All Ages
AARP Chicago strives to provide opportunities for you to choose how you live as you age. We are proud to have championed Chicago’s new Additional Dwelling Unit (ADU) ordinances, which allow people to create additional living spaces so people can live with their family as they get older.
In five zones across Chicago, people can now convert their attics, basements, and garages into livable homes for their loved ones.
AARP encourages you to learn how you can put an ADU on your property and to help make this option available for more Chicagoans!
CHECK YOUR PROPERTY
Am I Eligible?
Currently, property owners in five zones throughout Chicago are eligible to apply for an ADU.
Styles
& Types
DESIGN SELECTION
Styles & Types
ADUs come in many shapes and sizes. Choose the option that best fits your property and family!
BENEFITS
Multigenerational Housing
ADUs can be versatile and able to serve you and your family in different ways over time. Keeping your family together as loved ones grow older helps to address caregiving challenges and keeps costs down. By building an ADU on your property, you also are helping your community address its housing shortage. Win-win!
Flexibility
MULTIPLE OPTIONS
Paying For Your ADU
The best way to finance your ADU will depend on the cost of your project and your financial position.
Option 1:
Home Equity Line of Credit (HELOC)
If you have enough equity in your property, you may be able to use a HELOC to build your ADU. A HELOC is a revolving source of funds which you can access as you choose, and it is a second mortgage on your property.
Option 2:
Cash-out Refinance Mortgage
With a cash-out refinance, you turn a portion of your equity into cash, and start a new first mortgage with a higher principal amount.
Option 3:
Renovation Mortgage
Similarly, you can use the loan proceeds from a Renovation Mortgage to finance your ADU. Different from a cash-out refinance, these loan products consider the “as-completed” value of your property, including the ADU, to determine how much you can borrow. The FannieMae Homestyle Renovation loan and the Freddie Mac CHOICERenovation loan are two common renovation mortgages that can finance ADUs.
Let's Work
Together
Whether you’re interested in building your own ADU or you want to join AARP Illinois in bringing the ADU option to more communities across Illinois, we’d love to hear from you.