Granny units? Cottages? ADUs? This California housing trend needs a decent name
California has put out the welcome mat for accessory dwelling units — also known as granny units, mother-in-law flats, cottages, carriage houses, guest homes, etc.
Confusing? You bet.
So for the sake of clarity, can we all agree on a decent name for these abodes — preferably something that connotes livability? And isn’t an insult to women over 50?
“Accessory dwelling unit” just doesn’t cut it. It’s insufferably sterile; way too long for a headline; and such a bureaucratic mouthful that it should be banned from everyday use.
Sure, it can be shortened to the acronym “ADU,” but that sounds more like A) a method of birth control; B) a reference to a section of the penal code; or C) an obscure government agency.
The homier terms aren’t much better.
Take “granny unit.”
First, “unit” is an impersonal way of saying “house,” and the word “granny” is no longer a term of endearment. It’s an insult.
“Granny” connotes someone white-haired, slow, frail, even decrepit.
Don’t believe it?
Have you never heard of the basketball term “granny shot”?
Here’s the definition: “To shoot the ball with a granny shot implies that a person would shoot the ball like their grandmother would, who is weak and has little skill.”
Heck, even “grandma” isn’t universally beloved anymore. According to Google, baby boomers want “cool” grandparent names, like “Abba” or “Gigi” or “G-Mom.”
Another problem: Granny units aren’t just for grannies (or G-Moms). They’re more likely to attract renters who are totally unrelated to the homeowner. (Maybe we should call these supplementary income units, or SIUs?)
Or, they might house adult children; a sibling; maybe even a G-Dad.
Yet we’re not calling them “sister shelters” or “cuz quarters” or “bro barns.”
We need to take “granny unit” off the table, though other terms floating around are almost as bad:
Backyard cottage: Nope, not unless it’s covered in ivy.
Carriage house: Might have worked in Edwardian England, not in 21st century California.
Mother-in-law flat: Wrong in so many ways.
Ancillary unit: Are we talking about a house, or a machine?
Guest house: How nice for your guests! But that implies temporary occupancy.
Tiny house: Too late. The name’s already taken. It refers to a specific class of home that’s generally under 600 square feet and often on wheels.
Second home: Confusing. It could refer to a house in someone’s backyard or their chateau in France.
So what to do? Or more to the point, what to say?
The easiest solution is to come up with an entirely new term — and then pass a law requiring everyone in California to use it. (Kidding.)
Since this is California, maybe something Spanish, like “casita.”
Or a diminutive, like “housie.”
Or consider this: a blended word, along the lines of “glamping” (a mashup of “glamorous” and “camping”).
We could fuse “mini” and “home” to make “mome.” Or “little” and “house” to make “louse.” Or “secondary” and “dwelling” to make “swelling.”
No?
Then can we at least do this?
Take the formal name — “accessory dwelling unit” — swap out “home” for dwelling and drop the “unit.”
That leaves us with accessory home, which doesn’t exactly roll off the tongue.
Also, the word “accessory” sounds like a purse or piece of jewelry, but we can live with that.
And we could always shorten it to “AH.” Now wouldn’t that be a relief?
This story was originally published March 5, 2020 at 8:54 AM with the headline "Granny units? Cottages? ADUs? This California housing trend needs a decent name."
