About
The ADU Resource Center provides tools, educational materials, and expert staff to help jurisdictions and homeowners build more ADUs – especially affordable ADUs. Partnering closely with local jurisdictions, the Center provides ADU resources at residents’ fingertips and ensures that local governments are equipped to meet housing requirements.
The ADU Resource Center is a joint effort of Community Planning Collaborative (CPC) and the many member jurisdictions and funders who are committed to increasing ADU production, affordability, and equity. Hosted by CPC, the Center does not earn profits and is fiscally sponsored by Community Initiatives. If you would like to make a tax-deductible donation to the Center, please contact us.
History of the ADU Resource Center
In 2017, San Mateo County’s Home For All, a countywide collaborative that educates residents about housing, founded the Second Unit Center. As one of the first ADU one-stop-shops in the United States, it provided unprecedented resources to residents on every step of building an ADU, quickly becoming a model to other cities and counties. In 2018, the Napa Sonoma ADU Center was founded, inspired heavily by the work of the Second Unit Center, with the addition of technical support for homeowners.
In 2022, San Mateo County jurisdictions identified the need for a staffed ADU Resource Center, combining the resources and tools of the Second Unit Center with the personalized support of the Napa Sonoma Center. After nearly two years of development, the San Mateo ADU Resource Center launched in the summer of 2024.
Member jurisdictions
Some services, such as the Plans Gallery and ADU Consults (coming soon), are only available to residents of Member Jurisdictions, who fund the Center.
- Atherton
- Belmont
- Brisbane
- Burlingame
- East Palo Alto
- Foster City
- Hillsborough
- Pacifica
- Portola Valley
- Redwood City
- San Bruno
- San Carlos
- San Mateo City
- San Mateo County
- South San Francisco
- Woodside
Director
Anna Alekseyeva
Anna was most recently the Chief Strategy Officer at LISC, the largest nonprofit community development financial institution in the country. At LISC, Anna managed the strategy, operations, data analytics and compliance functions. She oversaw two enterprise-wide strategic planning cycles to identify opportunities for LISC to direct capital into historically underinvested and marginalized communities. She also introduced annual business planning to align resource allocation with strategic priorities. Prior to LISC, Anna worked at the Boston Consulting Group, where she advised clients across a range of industries on strategic growth opportunities, organizational structure and operational effectiveness.
Anna holds a BA from the University of Chicago and a PhD in Geography from the University of Oxford, where she studied as a Rhodes Scholar. At Oxford, Anna taught courses in human geography and urbanism. She is the author of Everyday Soviet Utopias, which explores urban, economic and social planning in the Soviet Union.
Acknowledgements
This work is supported by participating jurisdictions (city and county governments) of San Mateo County, Home For All, San Francisco Foundation, and Silicon Valley Community Foundation. The ADU Resource Center is guided by a Steering Committee that includes jurisdiction staff and representatives.
Special thanks to all who made this possible, including Home for All, C/CAG, the San Mateo County Department of Housing, and 21 Elements for early support of this work, the Jurisdiction Advisory Committee, and the many housing and planning department staff throughout San Mateo County that contributed to this effort.
