Title:
Title
Ordinance Amending Section 15.04.050 of the Sacramento City Code Relating to Emergency Housing
End
FileID
File ID: 2018-01620
Location
Location: Citywide
Recommendation:
Recommendation
1) Review an ordinance amending Section 15.04.040 of the Sacramento City Code relating to Emergency Housing; and 2) pass a Motion forwarding the ordinance to City Council for approval.
Contact: Anna Tekautz, Supervising Engineer, (916) 808-7877; Winfred DeLeon, Chief Building Official, (916) 808-5475; Susanne Cook, Administrative Analyst, (916) 808-5375, Community Development Department
Body
Presenter: None
Attachments:
1-Description/Analysis
2-Ordinance (Redline)
3-Ordinance (Clean)
Description/Analysis
Issue Detail: In April 2018, the California Building Code (CBC) and California Residential Code (CRC) were amended to add voluntary appendices containing building standards applicable to emergency housing. For the appendices to be applicable in Sacramento, they must be adopted by the City through an ordinance. On November 8, 2018, the Sacramento City Council voted unanimously to declare an emergency shelter crisis from December to March. Staff is requesting that the City Council adopt an ordinance to amend Section 15.040.040 of the Sacramento City Code to add CBC Appendix N and CRC Appendix X relating to emergency housing.
Appendices N and X would only be effective during a declared “State of Emergency, Local Emergency or Shelter Crisis” and for the duration of the declared housing crisis, the City can issue building permits for emergency housing structures (sleeping cabins, transportable housing units, tents, and support facilities) that otherwise would not meet the minimum state and local laws, regulations, and ordinances.
Policy Considerations: Amend the City Code to adopt the 2016 CBC Appendix N and the 2016 CRC Appendix X.
Economic Impacts: Not applicable.
Environmental Considerations: The proposed ordinance is exempt from the provisions of the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) under Public Resources Code section 21080 (b)(4) for specific actions necessary to prevent or mitigate an emergency. The proposed ordinance is also exempt under Public Resources Code section 21065 and CEQA Guidelines sections 15060 (c)(2) and 15378(a) because it does not have the potential for resulting in a direct physical change in the environment or a reasonably foreseeable indirect physical change in the environment since there would be no tangible physical change to the environment that is perceptible to the senses. Finally, the proposed ordinance is exempt under CEQA Guidelines Section 15061(b)(3). because it can be seen with certainty that there is no possibility that the activity in question may have a significant effect on the environment.
Sustainability: Not applicable.
Commission/Committee Action: None.
Rationale for Recommendation: Adoption of the 2016 CBC Appendix N and the 2016 CRC Appendix X will provide less restrictive requirements for temporary, movable structures to help address the declared emergency shelter crisis. The Appendices provide a small number of less restrictive requirements such as reduced ceiling heights, reduced net openings for windows, loft size reduction, establishment of minimum floor area, and only electrical hookup for sleeping cabins. Appendix N and Appendix X also allow for existing compliant structures to be used for emergency housing facilities. However, these less restrictive requirements only apply during a shelter crisis, and that occupancy isn’t permitted absent such a declaration.
Financial Considerations: Not applicable.
Local Business Enterprise (LBE): Not applicable.