ABSTRACT
This conclusion presents some closing thoughts on the key concepts discussed in the preceding chapters of this book. The book shows that the housing needs of our society today are quite different from those that gave rise to the land-use practices and housing policies of the last thirty years, and that accessory apartments represent one of the more tangible forms in which social change is leading to new practices and policies. Accessory apartment conversions make more efficient use of the existing stock through better space utilization. The book argues that zoning regulations, financing instruments, and the income tax treatment of home ownership have encouraged underutilization and discouraged the recycling of surplus space into additional housing units. The development of accessory apartments is one facet of the “densification” of single-family neighborhoods which occurs not only by means of house conversions but also by room additions and the in-filling of empty lots.
