Evanston's first affordable backyard home, known as an accessory dwelling unit, opened in October 2022 in back of a duplex at 1930 Jackson. Credit: Richard Cahan

Welcome to Evanston’s first affordable backyard home. Built for about $220,000 (mostly federal money), the two-bedroom house in back of a duplex at 1930 Jackson Ave. will rent for $850 per month. “This has got to be one of many, because we have a ton of work ahead of us when it comes to affordable housing,” said Mayor Daniel Biss. New zoning laws made such homes, called accessory dwelling units, possible. Tenants will be chosen from Evanston’s waitlist for affordable units. That’s Charlotte Sanders, property manager with Housing Opportunity Development Corp., with her arms wide open. (Photo by Richard Cahan)

Richard Cahan takes photos for the Evanston RoundTable. He also is publisher of CityFiles Press, a small but mighty media company that believes in the power of words and pictures. You can reach him at...

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  1. Love this idea. Evanston desperately needs more affordable housing, glad we’re on the forefront of this trend. YIMBY!

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