A local housing company and BART are joining forces to help address the Bay Area's growing housing crisis.
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Bay Area-based "Spacial" has rented a parcel of land at the Castro Valley BART station's parking lot and built two model tiny housing units for people to tour ahead of purchasing, the transit agency announced on Wednesday.
The tiny homes are called Accessory Dwelling Units – also known as granny flats, in-law units, backyard cottages and secondary units – which are defined by the California Department of Housing and Community Development as "innovative, affordable, effective options for adding much-needed housing in California."
Housing prices continue to rise across the Bay Area, and the cost of renting in San Francisco and San Jose, among other cities, reached pre-pandemic levels last month. State officials said earlier this month California must build 2.5 additional homes, 1 million of which need to be affordable, in order to reach its 2030 housing goals.
BART said the rental agreement to receive another source of revenue other than ticket fares as it continues to recover financially from the COVID-19 pandemic. Historically, the agency receives 65% of its revenue from ticket fares, however the agency said that number has dropped "precipitously" during the pandemic.
The agreement lasts for nine months with the possibility of an extension depending on BART's future ridership numbers. The lot is currently being underutilized, creating the opportunity for the agency to temporarily rent out the land.
"In the real estate department, we strive to generate non-fare box revenue to help support the District,” Paul Voix, BART Principal Property Development Officer, said in a release. "Here was the opportunity of underutilized patron parking that could result in a win for all, as we collect rent for the space. And it allows Spacial a central Bay Area space to showcase their ADUs, which will, in some ways, serve to alleviate the affordable housing crisis in the Bay Area."
Spacial designs, installs and permits ADUs across the San Francisco Bay Area, with studio units starting at $209,000 – a price which the company said includes the foundation, utilities, structure, labor and city building plans.
"What ADUs allow for is something called urban infill, where you're creating more homes inside the same geography that’s close to the jobs that already exist," Spacial CEO Cory Halbardier said in a release. "ADUs basically allow you to put more people in the same amount of space."
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