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They use the space as a guest house, yoga and meditation area and backyard escape for dinner and movies. Looking ahead, it's a potential future home for an aging parent or young adult child moving toward independence. Though the ADU isn't necessarily a great financial investment, Graven said, it's "a good investment for our family and our lifestyle." "Some of our friends joke we built our cabin in the backyard," he said. Slow start in the suburbs ADUs have been slow to catch on in the suburbs, despite some communities' relative abundance of land and financial resources compared to the central cities. Some suburbs with a lot of new housing stock have seen ADUs built as new construction at the same time as the main home. Those units can cost closer to $100,000, according to Lakeville Planning Director Daryl Morey, who said the city has seen about 13 such units built in the last decade or so. Blaine city officials began allowing ADUs in single-family zoning districts in 2021, but despite several inquiries, the city hasn't issued any permits, said Elizabeth Showalter, the city's community development specialist. Cost is likely the reason, she said — and city requirements such as having a separate HVAC unit and a fire wall between the two housing units drive prices up. Plenty of Bloomington residents have called the city to figure out how they could build an ADU, said planning manager Glen Markegard. "Then they find out how expensive new construction is, and they change their plans," he said. The city has allowed ADUs since 2009 but has seen only one built. Markegard said most people are interested in more space for extended family, so they'll opt instead for a home renovation that includes a second kitchen or extra bathroom — but perhaps less privacy than an ADU. Dakota County recently issued a guide to ADUs that includes specific building requirements for the cities that allow them — Apple Valley, Lakeville, Eagan, Burnsville and Inver Grove Heights. The goal of the guide was to inform residents that ADUs are a housing option, specify where they're allowed and give a snapshot of some of the rules, which are nuanced for each city, said Jess Luce, program manager for the county's Communities for a Lifetime initiative. Over the last eight years, about 30 ADUs have been built in the four cities for which data are available, Luce said. "[The low number] makes sense with all these hurdles people have to jump through," he said. Luce said the idea that ADUs are an affordable housing option makes him nervous. The units may be comparable in cost only if a family is looking at the long-term price tag of a nursing home or assisted living facility for a relative, he said. Luce said he hopes that, over time, cities will adopt less restrictive ADU policies as more residents want to build them. "I just think [the number of regulations] is going to change," he said. Shannon Prather covers Ramsey County for the Star Tribune. Previously, she covered philanthropy and nonprofits. Prather has two decades of experience reporting for newspapers in Minnesota, California, Idaho, Wisconsin and North Dakota. She has covered a variety of topics including the legal system, law enforcement, education, municipal government and slice-of-life community news. Shannon.Prather@startribune.com 612-673-4804 ShannonMPrather