'Cheaper Than Finding An Apartment' – This California Couple Built A $250,000 ADU For Their Adult Son In Their Backyard

When Todd Kuchta and his wife, who live in Napa, California, started thinking about their 26-year-old son Jacob's future, they knew he needed his own space. Jacob, who has autism, OCD, and ADHD, wanted independence, but finding an affordable home in California's sky-high housing market seemed impossible.

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"We live in a three-bedroom, one-bathroom house that's not very large," Todd explained to Business Insider. "Buying a new house is very expensive unless you got into it before prices skyrocketed." The family had purchased their home in 1999 for $175,000, but today it would sell for upward of $800,000. Moving wasn't realistic – especially since property taxes could jump from $3,000 to $12,000 a year.

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Jacob, a passionate baseball fan who loves to chat about the game, faces daily challenges with basic tasks like cooking, shopping, and managing finances. Though he qualifies for disability benefits, which provide about $800 to $900 a month, it's not enough to cover living independently. Supported housing, which offers 24-hour care for people with special needs, would cost the family around $9,000 a month – a huge portion of their income.

Instead of taking on these massive costs, the couple found a creative solution: they decided to build an accessory dwelling unit (ADU) in their backyard. "We knew we couldn't afford Jacob to live in the facility," Todd said. That’s why they considered building an ADU in their backyard instead. After learning about Napa County's Affordable ADU program, which offers a forgivable loan for homeowners who rent their units to low-income tenants, they went all in.

Todd and his wife built a manufactured home rather than constructing the unit from scratch. Manufactured homes are built off-site and delivered, which saved time and money. The entire project cost them a little over $248,000, and the county provided $63,000 as a forgivable loan, while the family took out an additional $160,000 loan as a second mortgage.

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In December 2023, the 480-square-foot, one-bedroom ADU was ready. It had a full bath, kitchen, and sports-themed décor that made it feel like Jacob's own space. "Some of our friends suggested we buy more than just the typical items for a house to make it feel like it was truly his," Todd shared.

Jacob quickly adjusted to his new home. "He can listen to music as loud as he wants," Todd said. Just a week after moving in, Jacob hosted friends for dinner – something that wouldn't have been possible before.

For Todd and his wife, building an ADU was the best decision they could have made for their family. "Our stress has significantly decreased, and we have peace of mind knowing we can still provide the necessary emotional support he needs," Todd shared in a conversation with Business Insider.

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At a time when California's housing market is daunting, this family's solution shows that sometimes thinking outside the box – or inside the backyard – can make all the difference.

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