frequently asked carriage house questions

What is a carriage house?

A carriage house, also known as an 'accessory housing unit' or a 'granny flat', is an additional unit of housing that can be built on an existing lot, typically by using the space above the garages that line mid-block alleyways.

Is this a new idea?

No. In fact, carriage houses have been built in Minneapolis for as long as the city has been here. The name "carriage house" comes from their original location above a household's horse-drawn carriage shed.

What are the benefits of this type of housing?

Present and future Ventura Village residents will benefit from the construction of carriage housing units. This is because building carriage housing:

• increases the number of affordable rental units in Ventura Village
• increases access to homeownership by providing prospective homeowners with additional income to help offset mortgage payments
• increases density without requiring high-rise construction
• utilizes existing infrastructure, which minimizes public costs
• increases safety in our neighborhood by providing additional eyes on the streets and alleys
• creates new affordable housing units with a minimum of disruption to the neighborhood (no relocation or demolition is necessary)
• engages individual homeowners in helping to solve the affordable housing crisis
• restores the original housing density of our neighborhood, increasing its viability and attractiveness to businesses and private investment
• lets low income families live in units that are readily accessible to jobs, services and public transportation
• lets homeowners manage the affordable units rather than absentee landlords or large impersonal management companies
• increases a homeowner's property valuations
• is consistent with national efforts like those from the US Conference of Mayors and several mortgage banking initiatives that seek to streamline housing regulations and produce more affordable housing in cities across the nation.

Where can they be built?

They can be built on any lot that has enough room to accommodate a detached garage - if it's big enough for a garage, it's also big enough for a carriage house.

What do they look like?

Follow this link to see architectural renderings of the carriage houses proposed for Ventura Village.

How much will they cost?

Like with any other building, it depends on the size of the structure and the method of contruction chosen. Building a carriage house with the plans developed by Ventura Village using ICF (insulated concrete form) construction will cost about 65 to 70 thousand dollars. Any type of design or construction method is permitted so long as the proposed structure meets the minimum design guidelines. See the proposed Design Guidelines here »

How can I build one?

Contact our neighborhood organization to obtain a set of complete plans for one of four basic carriage house types and get additional information on the permitting process for construction.