Zoning changes allow more neighbor-initiated, bottom-up housing

Two new Lansing ordinances may not provide dramatic and immediate relief from our housing shortage. But over time they should gently densify our neighborhoods. 

The ordinances, which the Council approved May 5, establish and clarify regulations around shared housing, including rooming houses, boarding houses, cooperative housing, cottage developments, and ADUs or Accessory Dwelling Units (aka, granny flats.) Their goal is to increase the number and types of housing options. 

The ordinances are the end result of efforts by the Shared-Use Housing Advocacy Network, comprising members of AARP (the nation’s biggest fan of ADUs) and representatives from several civic organizations, among others. They were in the Council chambers to witness the zoning changes’ 7-0 endorsement. Network members participated in countless meetings of the city Public Service Commission, Council’s Planning and Development Committee on Development and multiple public hearings during the 20-month-long process. 

The network formed in October 2023 when 40 people came together to discuss ways to address the city’s housing shortage other than with huge apartment buildings or single-family homes. Our vision was small-scale development that would be neighbor-initiated, incremental and supportive of more diverse housing types. 

We met with Andy Fedewa, city government’s forward-thinking principal planner, to discuss zoning barriers to this approach.  Fedewa and his team had already begun crafting two proposals to separate ADUs from other forms of shared-use housing in anticipation that ADUs might be a tougher sell.  

Ultimately, ADUs did prompt more questions from decision-makers, but they also drew a larger number of strong supporters.  It helped to be able to share with people that 22 Michigan cities (and scores more around the country) have already approved backyard dwellings and report consistently positive outcomes.  

Fedewa shepherded the ordinances through the approvals process, all the while responding patiently to network members’ endless questions about the proposed changes.   

Here, with Fedewa’s help, are a few of the new ordinances’ highlights: 

Rooming houses  

A rooming house is a single-family dwelling that is the owner’s principal residence. Rooming houses are ideal for empty nesters with extra space to share and a welcome option for students, traveling medical staff and young professionals searching for an affordable rental. Some specifics: 

• The owner may rent rooms to no more than three unrelated lodgers (up from two). In addition to a private room, renters often have access to shared living space, e.g., kitchen, dining room, laundry. 

• Rooming houses are limited to residential zoning districts. 

• As the owner’s principal residence, a rooming house does not need to be inspected and licensed as a registered rental. 

Boarding houses 

These differ from rooming houses in that they are considered a commercial enterprise (allowed only in commercial districts) and are not occupied by the owner. They have individual rooms for rent and may have shared facilities, such as bathrooms and kitchens. 

They are required to be inspected and licensed as registered rentals. Staff responsible for the property must be on-site or on-call 24/7. 

Similar to the YMCA/YWCA model of yesteryear, boarding houses offer rooms to those who may be new to town or in transitional situations. 

Housing cooperatives 

These are shared by member-owners. Spartan Housing Co-operative owns 18 local sites, largely in East Lansing but also in Lansing, such as the multi-generational Rivendell Co-op. They recently purchased two homes to convert to co-ops just down the street from the Asante Co-op, under construction in Allen Place on Lansing’s east side. Housing young adult refugees as well as native born young people, Asante Co-op is a collaboration between Allen Place, Refugee Development Center and Spartan Cooperative.   

• Generally, housing cooperatives have private or shared rooms, while bathrooms, living rooms, and kitchens are shared by members. 

• Co-ops must be registered with the Michigan Licensing and Regulatory Affairs Department. 

• No portion of the house may be rented to people outside of the organization. A property manager or member-owner must be on file with the city as the responsible party. 

• Different cooperative models  —  those with private units and no shared household facilities, e.g., cooperative apartment houses or scattered sites  —  are not subject to the new zoning rules.  

• Housing cooperatives are allowed in the R-3 and R-MX residential districts as well as most commercial districts. 

1. Cottage developments 

Also known as cottage courts, they permit 3 – 6 dwellings on a single property in the R-3, R-MX, MFR, R-AR, and DT-1 districts. One of the only cottage developments in Lansing is Cottage Lane, Dave Muylle’s eastside development. While people of all ages live in Cottage Lane, it is particularly appealing to retirees who enjoy gathering in the shared courtyard.  

• Dwellings may be detached or duplexes of 400 to 1,200 square feet. Each dwelling must have a minimum of 120 square feet of private outdoor space (patio, porch, deck). 

• Cottage courts are meant to be organized around a shared street, courtyard or pathway. Vehicle parking may be consolidated to help save space on the site. 

• Cottages are not meant to be short-term rentals, and each unit must be properly inspected and licensed as a registered rental. 

ADUs or accessory dwelling units 

These are now permitted in most residential zoning districts. Either the principal house or the ADU must be occupied by the property owner. 

ADUs may be detached in a rear yard or an addition on an accessory garage. 

Due to building code requirements, an existing garage may not be easily converted into an ADU. The foundation must have proper footings, i.e., not just consist of a slab-on-grade as is the case with most existing garages. 

For more information on requirements for ADUs, contact the city’s Planning Office at (517) 483-4066. 

To provide guidance to residents, Fedewa’s team has created info-sheets on the specific forms of shared use housing and a separate webpage for ADUs.  You can check this out at lansingmi.gov/planning.  

Keep in mind that new zoning changes went into effect June 5, so now is the time for energetic neighbors to help reduce the housing shortage by initiating shared-use projects of their own.