Garages as Hidden Residential Infrastructure in the United States: An Economically Efficient Strategy to Expand Housing Supply During the Affordability Crisis

This research paper examines garage conversion as a scalable and economically efficient strategy to expand housing supply in the United States amid an ongoing affordability crisis. The study analyzes structural housing shortages, rising construction costs, and regulatory constraints that limit traditional large-scale development. It positions garage conversion as a form of adaptive reuse and distributed residential infrastructure that leverages existing built environments to increase housing capacity. The paper evaluates economic efficiency, implementation timelines, and policy frameworks, including Accessory Dwelling Unit (ADU) legislation, with a particular focus on California. It demonstrates that garage conversion offers a lower-cost, faster, and more flexible alternative to conventional housing production. The research contributes to the fields of housing policy, architecture, and urban planning by presenting garage conversion as a viable micro-scale densification strategy capable of producing cumulative regional impact. Keywords: housing crisis, ADU, garage conversion, adaptive reuse, housing supply, densification, residential infrastructure.