(a) Notwithstanding any other provision in this chapter, upon a declaration of a shelter crisis by the City of Berkeley, Emeryville, Los Angeles, Oakland, or San Diego, the County of Santa Clara, or the City and County of San Francisco, the following shall apply to the respective city, county, or city and county during a shelter crisis:
(1) Emergency housing may include homeless shelters for the homeless located or constructed on any land owned or leased by a city, county, or city and county, including land acquired with low- and moderate-income housing funds.
(2) (A) (i) The city, county, or city and county, in lieu of compliance with local building approval procedures or state housing, health, habitability, planning and zoning, or safety standards, procedures, and laws, may adopt by ordinance reasonable local standards and procedures for the design, site development, and operation of homeless shelters and the structures and facilities therein, to the extent that it is determined at the time of adoption that strict compliance with state and local standards or laws in existence at the time of that adoption would in any way prevent, hinder, or delay the mitigation of the effects of the shelter crisis. The Department of Housing and Community Development shall review and approve the city’s, county’s, or city and county’s draft ordinance to ensure it addresses minimum health and safety standards. The department shall, as set forth in Section 9795, provide its findings to the Senate Committee on Transportation and Housing and the Assembly Committee on Housing and Community Development within 30 calendar days of receiving the draft ordinance.
(ii) During the shelter crisis, except as provided in this section, provisions of any housing, health, habitability, planning and zoning, or safety standards, procedures, or laws shall be suspended for homeless shelters, provided that the city, county, or city and county has adopted health and safety standards and procedures for homeless shelters consistent with ensuring minimal public health and safety and those standards are complied with. Landlord tenant laws codified in Sections 1941 to 1942.5, inclusive, of the Civil Code providing a cause of action for habitability or tenantability shall be suspended for homeless shelters, provided that the city, county, or city and county has adopted health and safety standards for homeless shelters and those standards are complied with. During the shelter crisis, the local and state law requirements for homeless shelters to be consistent with the local land use plans, including the general plan, shall be suspended.
(B) This section applies only to a public facility or homeless shelters reserved entirely for the homeless pursuant to this chapter.
(3) Homeless shelters constructed or allowed under this chapter shall not be subject to the Special Occupancy Parks Act (Part 2.3 (commencing with Section 18860) of Division 13 of the Health and Safety Code), the Mobilehome Parks Act (Part 2.1 (commencing with Section 18200) of Division 13 of the Health and Safety Code), or the Mobilehome Residency Law (Chapter 2.5 (commencing with Section 798) of Title 2 of Part 2 of Division 2 of the Civil Code).
(4) On or before July 1, 2019, the city, county, or city and county shall develop a plan to address the shelter crisis, including, but not limited to, the development of homeless shelters and permanent supportive housing, as well as onsite supportive services. The city, county, or city and county shall make the plan publicly available.
(5) On or before January 1, 2019, and annually thereafter until January 1, 2021, if the city, county, or city and county has declared a shelter crisis, the city, county, or city and county shall report all of the following to the Senate Committee on Transportation and Housing and the Assembly Committee on Housing and Community Development:
(A) The total number of residents in homeless shelters within the city, county, or city and county.
(B) The total number of residents who have moved from a homeless shelter into permanent supportive housing within the city, county, or city and county.
(C) The estimated number of permanent supportive housing units.
(D) The number of residents who have exited the system and are no longer in need of a homeless shelter or permanent supportive housing within the city, county, or city and county.
(E) The number of new homeless shelters built pursuant to this section within the city, county, or city and county.
(F) New actions the city, county, or city and county is taking under the declared shelter crisis to better serve the homeless population and to reduce the number of people experiencing homelessness.
(b) For purposes of this section, the following terms have the following meanings:
(1) “Homeless shelter” means a facility with overnight sleeping accommodations, the primary purpose of which is to provide temporary shelter for the homeless that is not in existence after the declared shelter crisis. A temporary homeless shelter community may include supportive and self-sufficiency development services.
(2) “Permanent supportive housing” means housing for people who are homeless, with no limit on length of stay, and that is linked to onsite or offsite services that assist the supportive housing resident in retaining the housing, improving his or her health status, and maximizing his or her ability to live and, when possible, work in the community.
(c) This section shall remain in effect only until January 1, 2021, and as of that date is repealed.
(Added by Stats. 2017, Ch. 786, Sec. 1. (AB 932) Effective January 1, 2018. Repealed as of January 1, 2021, by its own provisions.)
Last modified: October 25, 2018