Illegal secondary units, or in-law units as they are more commonly known, can be found all over San Francisco. Partly a response to the city’s affordable housing crisis, partly a way for homeowners to earn extra rental income — sometimes even a means of housing an in-law — these renovated basements or garages violate the zoning laws of certain neighborhoods. Vociferous opposition to in-law units underscores the intractable resistance to development that underlies much of San Francisco’s housing woes.

Legalizing these units and encouraging more homeowners to create such apartments would be a simple first-step in alleviating the City’s housing crunch. The stumbling block to legalization is various neighborhood associations, which stand firmly against in-law units as violating the character of their neighborhoods and, more to the point, exacerbating the critical shortage of street parking.

However, if you would like to add an in-law unit, or simply think that they should be legal, consider attending your next neighborhood association meeting to voice your opinion.