Saint Paul HRA staff present new dwelling toolkit to guide homeowners through ADUs and primary-unit additions

At a Housing and Redevelopment Authority meeting, city planner Emma Brown of the Department of Planning and Economic Development presented a newly completed “new dwelling toolkit” intended to help Saint Paul property owners plan, design and build an additional housing unit on their lots, including accessory dwelling units (ADUs) and new principal units.

The toolkit walks property owners through zoning basics for the H1 and H2 districts, lot-size thresholds, design options, permitting steps, construction and move-in, and financing options. "This document is a resource to help property owners, plan for, design, and build another housing unit on their property," Brown said during the presentation.

The guide explains differences between ADUs and principal units — including maximum height, square footage and whether a unit can be sold separately — and directs readers through a seven-stage process from planning to move-in. Brown said the H1/H2 zoning changes adopted in 2023 as part of the 1–4 unit housing study made it easier to add units in those districts and that lots must meet minimum sizes (2,000 square feet in many cases; 3,000 square feet when two principal units are proposed). The guide also notes that single-family lots may add up to two ADUs.

Chair Johnson and several commissioners praised the guide's plain-language approach. Commissioner Nieker said the toolkit was a priority from the authority's prior strategic planning work and commended the accessible drafting. Commissioner Coleman asked about the toolkit’s connection to a separate effort to develop preapproved or permit-ready blueprints; Brown said the guide will include links to mortgage and loan programs that currently work for these units and that staff plan to coordinate with the housing team as additional resources become available.

Director Geraldine McMahon said the toolkit is intended as part of a larger effort to address both process and resources: "It's resources and it's process," McMahon said, noting the toolkit is one step to easing building-code and permitting barriers and that staff will examine internal process changes to make construction smoother.

Brown outlined next steps: publish the toolkit on the city’s 1–6 unit housing development web page, invite review and comments from other departments (including DSI and PED), promote the resource, and update it as needed. Chair Johnson noted the proposed HRA budget includes $500,000 allocated for ADU support and that preapproved blueprint work is planned for 2026.

The presentation included a discussion of financing options (mortgages and loan programs that currently apply), design approaches (site-built and prefabricated modular options), and construction and inspection stages. Brown also pointed attendees to content on rental management, fair housing resources and common code violations to help landlords and owner-occupants comply with city rules.

No formal action was taken at the meeting; staff said they will publish the toolkit and continue coordination with HRA and other departments as the preapproved blueprint work proceeds into 2026.