A. 
Title. The provisions of this chapter shall be known as the "emergency shelter regulations" of this title.
B. 
Purpose. The regulations in this title are intended to facilitate the establishment of emergency shelters and provide objective procedures and standards. An emergency shelter that meets the standards set forth in this title and is identified as a permitted use within a zone shall be approved ministerially and without discretionary review or a public hearing. These regulations also apply to any emergency shelter processed through the conditional use permit or temporary use permit processes.
(Ord. 943 § 6, 2015)
The emergency shelter use regulations shall apply to all zoning districts citywide that allow emergency shelters as either permitted or conditionally permitted, or as a temporary use through the temporary use permit process.
(Ord. 943 § 6, 2015)
A. 
Occupancy. The maximum number of beds or persons permitted to be served nightly by an emergency shelter, or any combination of emergency shelters in the city, shall not exceed the number of unsheltered homeless as determined by the general plan housing element in accordance with state law.
B. 
Length of Stay. Occupancy for an individual in an emergency shelter is limited to no more than six months. The operator of the emergency shelter shall maintain adequate documentation to demonstrate compliance with this provision.
C. 
Location. No emergency shelter shall be located within three hundred feet of another emergency or homeless shelter or similar type facility. The distance between emergency shelters shall be measured in a straight line, without regard to intervening structures or objects, from the closest exterior wall or the closest location of any outdoor common facilities of one emergency shelter to the closest exterior wall or the closest location of any outdoor common facilities of another emergency shelter.
D. 
Management Plan. Prior to the establishment of the use and development, the operator of the emergency shelter must submit to the community development department a written management plan, approved by the city manager. As a minimum, the management plan shall include and address the following:
1. 
Procedures for staff training to meet the needs of the shelter residents, and have processes to address the following topics: client intake, confidentiality, health and safety training, mental health, and substance abuse treatment and referrals;
2. 
Operational rules and standards of conduct for residents, including policies prohibiting the use or possession of controlled substances by residents, rules concerning the use or possession of alcohol, curfew, prohibition of loitering, and any other provisions necessary to ensure compatibility with surrounding uses;
3. 
Policies and procedures for eviction from the facility for violation of rules and standards of conduct;
4. 
A detailed safety and security plan to protect shelter residents and surrounding residents and uses;
5. 
A process for resident screening and identification;
6. 
A process for identification and registration with the chief of police of clients required to register as convicted sex offenders;
7. 
Provisions for on-site or partnerships with off-site organizations to provide job training, counseling, and treatment programs for the residents;
8. 
Services to assist residents with obtaining permanent shelter and income;
9. 
Policies regarding pet care and boarding during residents' stay at the facility;
10. 
If applicable, timing and placement of outdoor activities;
11. 
Location within the facility for temporary storage of residents' personal belongings;
12. 
Provisions for continuous on-site supervision during hours of operation. Specifically, there shall be a minimum of one staff person per eight clients during daytime hours, seven a.m. to ten p.m., and a minimum of two staff people at the facility during nighttime hours, ten p.m. to seven a.m.;
13. 
If applicable, procedures for ensuring safety and security of women and children within the facility;
14. 
Each emergency shelter must provide refuse containers or an enclosure that is consistent with city standards as set forth in the city's Standard Plans and Specifications;
15. 
The exterior of the building must be kept in a good state of repair and the exterior finish and landscaping must be kept clean and well maintained. Each site shall be kept in a neat and orderly manner, free of weeds, loose trash, debris and other litter, including, but not limited to, shopping carts;
16. 
Organized outdoor activities on the site may only be conducted between the hours of eight a.m. and ten p.m.;
17. 
Noise shall be limited so as not to create an adverse impact on surrounding uses. No loudspeakers or amplified sound shall be placed within, or project outside of, the emergency shelter;
18. 
Employees, partners, directors, officers, managers and similar persons shall be screened prior to occupancy to confirm that they have no history of a previously failed emergency shelter (or similar facility) due to the fault of the operator, and have not been convicted of any of the following offenses within the prior five years:
a. 
A crime requiring registration under Penal Code Section 290,
b. 
A violation of Penal Code Section 311.2 or 311.4 through 311.7,
c. 
A violation of Penal Code Sections 313.1 through 313.5,
d. 
A violation of Penal Code Section 647(a), (b), or (d),
e. 
A violation of Penal Code Section 315, 316, or 318,
f. 
A felony crime involving the use of force or violence on another, or
g. 
The maintenance of a nuisance in connection with the same or similar business operation.
The management of the emergency shelter shall effectuate a background investigation on all employees to the satisfaction of the chief of police.
E. 
Common Facilities and Services. An emergency shelter may include the following facilities and services as ancillary to the emergency shelter use:
1. 
Commercial kitchen facilities;
2. 
Dining area;
3. 
Laundry room;
4. 
Recreation or meeting room;
5. 
Outdoor recreational spaces; provided, that the space is located within a building interior courtyard or is enclosed by a building, solid fence, or wall or some combination thereof to secure the space and ensure that it is not accessible to the general public;
6. 
Support services (counseling, job training, and other social and medical services);
7. 
Animal boarding and related veterinary services for current residents of the facility only;
8. 
Child care facilities for current residents of the facility only.
F. 
Client Intake Areas. An enclosed intake area shall be provided within the emergency shelter building. The intake area shall be a minimum of one hundred square feet in size, located entirely within the building. The intake hours shall be posted clearly on the doors to the emergency shelter. Clients shall be allowed to wait in an interior or exterior waiting area that shall not exceed one hundred square feet. Clients shall not loiter nor form a queue outside of the exterior waiting area.
G. 
Parking. Emergency shelters shall provide sufficient on-site parking to accommodate all employees, consistent with Section 65583, subdivision (a)(4)(B)(ii) of the State Government Code; provided that the standards do not require more parking for emergency shelters than other residential or commercial uses within the same zone.
H. 
Lighting. Exterior lighting shall be located along all pedestrian pathways, parking lots, entrances and exits, common outdoor areas and at the front of the building. All lighting shall be maintained in good operating condition and shall be fully-shielded.
I. 
On-Site Security. Security measures shall be reviewed and approved by the chief of police prior to commencement of operations on the site and shall be sufficient to protect clients and neighbors. On-site security shall be provided during the hours when the emergency shelter is in operation and at all times when clients are present on-site. In the event that five or more calls for police services have been received over a thirty-day period by the police department, the facility shall be required to provide additional on-site security staff to the satisfaction of the chief of police and the community development director.
J. 
City, County and State Requirements. An emergency shelter shall obtain and maintain in good standing all required licenses, permits, and approvals from the city, county and state agencies or departments and demonstrate compliance with applicable building and fire codes. An emergency shelter shall comply with all county and state health and safety requirements for food, medical and other supportive services provided on-site.
(Ord. 943 § 6, 2015; Ord. 1084, 3/11/2025)
Except as otherwise set forth in this chapter, all new construction shall comply with the residential, commercial and industrial land use regulations for the underlying district in which the emergency shelter will be located. If no such regulations exist, the developer shall file an application with and obtain approval from the city of a rezone to establish development standards for the emergency shelter prior to any building permit issuance.
Emergency shelters shall be permitted by-right in the PD-38 zone consistent with Section 65583, subdivision (a)(4) of the State Government Code and AB 2339 (2023). All emergency shelters, regardless of the number of occupants, shall meet all applicable development standards to the zoning districts in which they are permitted by-right.
(Ord. 943 § 6, 2015; Ord. 1084, 3/11/2025)
Construction of a new structure or exterior modification of an existing structure for an emergency shelter shall be subject to a ministerial design review process. The zoning administrator will review the design and site plan to ensure compliance with the design and site development review criteria established under Chapter 17.820.
(Ord. 943 § 6, 2015)