Unless expressly denied by legitimate neighborhood covenants, every lot in Santa Fe able to fit a casita has a right to have one. Converting garages, adding second stories, or creating dwelling units from existing homes also is allowed.

Until now, what has not been allowed is calculating income from an accessory dwelling unit into a homebuyer’s qualifying income when trying to get a mortgage or a loan to build a new unit.

The Federal Housing Authority on Monday established new, groundbreaking rules to address the national affordable housing crisis. This is a big deal.

Read the full story