Addressing the issue of housing shortage, the U.S. government has introduced a new federal housing policy aimed at providing more housing options and helping families achieve homeownership and wealth accumulation goals through promoting the construction of Accessory Dwelling Units (ADUs).

The core of this policy is to calculate the rental income from ADUs as qualifying income for borrowers, thus increasing their chances of qualifying for loans. This measure is expected to alleviate the tight housing market, stimulate economic development, and provide more housing opportunities.

ADUs refer to smaller housing units built on the same property as the main house, such as "granny flats." These independent units can be rented out to short-term or long-term tenants, providing additional income for homeowners. However, due to many homebuyers being unable to meet the criteria for traditional mortgage loans, the construction and purchase of ADUs have become challenging.

To address this issue, the new federal housing policy allows lenders to include the rental income from ADUs in the calculation of loan applications, thereby improving the loan eligibility of homebuyers.

Under the new policy, for homeowners intending to add ADUs, it is expected that 50% of the rental income will be calculated as part of the mortgage under the Federal Housing Administration (FHA) standard 203(k) rehabilitation mortgage insurance program. This means that even with limited income, homebuyers still have the opportunity to build ADUs and generate stable rental income.

For homeowners intending to purchase existing ADU properties, the new policy will allow for 75% of the projected rental income to be considered within the scope of obtaining FHA-backed mortgage loans.

In addition to including the rental income from ADUs in the calculation of loan applications, the FHA plans to establish specific appraisal requirements for ADUs to help appraisers understand the potential rental income the unit may generate. This will help ensure a reasonable estimation of rental income and provide more confidence to lenders. These measures will provide FHA-approved lenders with the opportunity to offer mortgage loans with ADUs to borrowers and will take effect immediately.

The implementation of this new policy will bring multiple benefits. First, by including the rental income from ADUs in the calculation of loan applications, the policy supports homebuyers in obtaining loans, helping them achieve their homeownership dreams. This is a significant breakthrough for homebuyers who would not have been able to meet the criteria for traditional mortgage loans.

Second, the policy is expected to stimulate the construction and purchase of ADUs, increasing the housing supply and alleviating the tight housing market. This will enable more families to find suitable housing and improve housing affordability.

Furthermore, by encouraging the construction of ADUs, the policy can also stimulate economic development. The construction and renovation of ADUs require various building materials and services, which will drive demand and create employment opportunities in related industries. Additionally, as ADUs are typically located within existing communities, their construction does not consume additional land resources, reducing pressure on the natural environment and promoting sustainable development.

It should be noted that this policy is not without challenges. In some areas, the construction of ADUs still faces issues of regulatory constraints and community opposition. However, with the government proposing more policies and regulations to support ADU development, these issues are expected to be gradually resolved.