As housing prices continue to soar across the Bay Area, more residents are turning to accessory dwelling units (ADUs) as a potential solution to the ongoing housing shortage.

On Saturday afternoon, a nonprofit organization teamed up with San Rafael High School to showcase two student-built ADUs, constructed from the ground up over the course of the academic year.

"The square footage is 160, it's 8 feet by 20 feet," said San Rafael High School senior Joe Miller as he pointed to one of the compact homes.

The completed units will soon be placed in Novato, where they'll provide permanent housing for two low-income families.

Miller is one of 24 students who contributed to the year-long construction project, learning trade skills alongside six adult apprentices known as "learning leaders." Working under the guidance of the Big Skills Program—run by the nonprofit Rebuilding Together East Bay Network—the students gained hands-on experience in everything from framing to finish work.

"This is the kitchen area, dining room as well. We have four pull-out cabinets, a couple of lower ones with some shelves on the bottom as well. And then underneath the sink, you have more storage for cleaning supplies," said Miller, giving a tour of the space.

Every inch of the compact units is used with intention. The homes are fully equipped with heating, cooling, and convertible furniture to maximize functionality.

"This comes up and then you've got this little stand right here. And then that comes up and then you pull out these little chairs and you can have yourself a nice dinner table," Miller added, demonstrating a fold-out dining space.

The construction took the entire school year, from August to May, to complete.

"We are so excited to be working in partnership with the Marin Housing Authority to place these units here in the backyards of low-income homeowners right here in Marin," said Program Director Sean Ticknor.

Ticknor, who leads the Big Skills Program, emphasized the dual purpose of the initiative: giving students practical trade education while contributing to local affordable housing efforts.

"This is not the solution, but it's part of the solution. This provides infill affordable housing in the existing space that we have," Ticknor explained.

Each ADU costs about $65,000 in labor and materials, with an additional $40,000 to $60,000 required to place the unit on its permanent foundation and connect utilities, according to Ticknor.

"Together, we built something that's going to help someone and probably change someone's life. I think everyone involved is going to walk away feeling a lot better," said learning leader Brandon Werly.

For students like San Rafael High senior Wyld Owyeung, the program is not only a class, but preparation for future life skills.

"I might own a property in the future. It's good to know what to expect in a house," said Owyeung, who spent two years in the Big Skills Program.

Miller described the course as his favorite class in high school, largely because of the impact it will have.

"You can't get that [sense of reward] in any other class in high school. That feeling you get when you see it being delivered. It's going to something better than yourself, going to someone in need. And it's just a great feeling to help out people," said Miller.

He heads to college in the fall and hopes to one day run his own construction company.

• Marin County