ST. LOUIS – Mayor Cara Spencer signed Board Bill 60 on Monday, allowing accessory dwelling units (ADUs) to be built by right in residential areas of St. Louis.

The new legislation is aimed at increasing affordable housing options and providing solutions for families affected by natural disasters, such as tornadoes.

Residents shared with FOX 2 their thoughts on the bill.

“I think it’s a great idea. I think affordable housing, increasing density it’s really important for the city,” said resident Amanda Ramcharan.

But not everyone is convinced—others worry the new ADUs could clash with the character of historic neighborhoods, like Benton Park.

“My only concern is the people who might be building these structures in a neighborhood like this would not be a local property owner,” said Benton Park resident Dave Langley.

Alderwoman Shameem Clark-Hubbard, who sponsored the bill, emphasized that ADUs must meet city building codes and inspections.

“This allows him to possibly secure funding to convert his garage into an Accessory Dwelling Unit. So he can be safe until he makes a decision or in a position to make a decision about what he wants to do on his grandmother’s home but won’t have to leave his property,” Clark-Hubbard said.

City officials are exploring other housing solutions, such as modular housing, to further address zoning barriers and meet the urgent need for St. Louisans. 

Local leaders also believe that the new law could reshape housing options in St. Louis neighborhoods, helping many families remain in the communities they call home.

All facts in this report were gathered by journalists employed by KTVI. Artificial intelligence tools were used to reformat from a broadcast script into a news article for our website. This report was edited and fact-checked by KTVI staff before being published.