Bill Text: CA AB932 | 2017-2018 | Regular Session | Chaptered

California Assembly Bill 932 (Prior Session Legislation)

Bill Title: Shelter crisis: homeless shelters.

Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 8-0)

Status: (Passed) 2017-10-14 - Chaptered by Secretary of State - Chapter 786, Statutes of 2017. [AB932 Detail]

Download: California-2017-AB932-Chaptered.html

Assembly Bill No. 932

CHAPTER 786

An act to add and repeal Section 8698.4 of the Government Code, relating to housing.

[ Approved by Governor October 14, 2017. Filed with Secretary of State October 14, 2017. ]

LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST

AB 932, Ting. Shelter crisis: homeless shelters.

Existing law authorizes a governing body of a political subdivision, as defined, to declare a shelter crisis if the governing body makes a specified finding. Existing law authorizes a political subdivision to allow persons unable to obtain housing to occupy designated public facilities, as defined, during the period of a shelter crisis. Existing law provides that certain state and local laws, regulations, and ordinances are suspended during a shelter crisis, to the extent that strict compliance would in any way prevent, hinder, or delay the mitigation of the effects of the shelter crisis. Existing law, upon a declaration of a shelter crisis by the City of San Jose, authorizes emergency housing to include an emergency bridge housing community for the homeless in that city.

This bill, until January 1, 2021, 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, would authorize emergency housing to include homeless shelters in the City of Berkeley, Emeryville, Los Angeles, Oakland, or San Diego, the County of Santa Clara, or the City and County of San Francisco, respectively. The bill, in lieu of compliance with local building approval procedures or state housing, health, habitability, planning and zoning, or safety standards, procedures, and laws, would authorize those jurisdictions to adopt by ordinance reasonable local standards for homeless shelters, as specified. The bill would require the Department of Housing and Community Development to review and approve the draft ordinance to ensure it addresses minimum health and safety standards and to provide its findings to committees of the Legislature, as provided. The bill would require the city, county, or city and county to develop a plan to address the shelter crisis, as specified. The bill would further require any of the specified jurisdictions that have declared a shelter crisis to annually report to the committees of the Legislature specific information on homeless shelters and permanent supportive housing, through January 1, 2021.

This bill would make legislative findings and declarations as to the necessity of a special statute for the Cities of Berkeley, Emeryville, Los Angeles, Oakland, and San Diego, the County of Santa Clara, and the City and County of San Francisco.

Vote: MAJORITY Appropriation: NO Fiscal Committee: YES Local Program: NO

The people of the State of California do enact as follows:

SECTION 1.

Section 8698.4 is added to the Government Code, to read:

8698.4.

(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.

(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.

SEC. 2.

The Legislature finds and declares that a special statute is necessary and that a general statute cannot be made applicable within the meaning of Section 16 of Article IV of the California Constitution because of the unique need to address the problem of homelessness in the Cities of Berkeley, Emeryville, Los Angeles, Oakland, and San Diego, the County of Santa Clara, and the City and County of San Francisco.