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<\/p>\nCamilo Betancur faced a difficult challenge: finding an affordable home for his aging parents.<\/p>\n
As rental prices soared and housing options shrank, that dream felt increasingly out of reach \u2014 until Ready Set Orange offered the perfect solution.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhen I learned about this program on the news, I thought about my parents,\u201d said Betancur. \u201cI want to build something for them so they can live close to me when they retire.\u201d<\/p>\n
In early March, Betancur became the first Orange County resident to receive construction permits through Ready Set Orange, a new Orange County program designed to help homeowners build Accessory Dwelling Units \u2014 often called granny flats or in-law suites \u2014 on their property.<\/p>\n
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Launched in August 2024, Ready Set Orange is one of Orange County\u2019s key initiatives to address the affordable housing crisis. \u00a0The program offers eight pre-designed floor plans and provides step-by-step guidance for homeowners to apply for and secure construction permits. By streamlining the process, it reduces both costs and wait times.<\/p>\n
Betancur now joins a growing number of homeowners exploring ADU options.<\/p>\n
These small, self-contained units share a property with a single-family home and can be used for family housing or rented for periods longer than 180 days.<\/p>\n
By mid-March 2025, Ready Set Orange had received 323 applications, with 122 applicants advancing past initial zoning reviews to begin construction planning.<\/p>\n
In Betancur\u2019s neighborhood, Maykel Permuy also started building an ADU through the program, becoming the second homeowner to receive a construction permit.<\/p>\n
\u201cMy mom lives with me now,\u201d said Permuy. \u201cShe needs her own place, but rent is expensive. I gave up looking for a while. When I heard about Ready Set Orange, I wanted to pursue it.\u201d<\/p>\n
The program offers four ADU floor plans ranging from 531 to 708 square feet, and four \u00a0single-family home plans between 1,150 and 1,483 square feet. Among applicants, ADUs have quickly become the most popular option.<\/p>\n
Both Permuy and Betancur selected the Clementine model, a 531-sq.-ft. unit with a covered entry and a secondary rear entrance.<\/p>\n
Betancur made a few minor modifications to the design and completed the permitting process in just four months. By using the pre-designed plans, he estimates he saved nearly $10,000 on architectural fees.<\/p>\n
\u201cGoing back and forth with an architect could\u2019ve taken months,\u201d he said. \u201cBut in this case, we saved a lot of time and money. The process was easy and fast.\u201d<\/p>\n