A. Purpose. This division sets forth a uniform set of standards for emergency shelters to provide temporary housing for the homeless.
B. Emergency Shelter Standards for Regulations. Emergency shelters for homeless persons shall be subject to and comply with the following standards and regulations.
1. A single emergency shelter for thirty (30) occupants, or a combination of multiple shelters with a combined capacity not to exceed thirty (30) occupants, shall be allowed as a permitted use, consistent with section 65583(4)(A) of the Government Code. All emergency shelters, regardless of the number of occupants, shall meet the minimum standards contained herein below. Any emergency shelter with a capacity greater than thirty (30) occupants shall also be subject to the approval of a conditional use permit, as set forth in section 16.52.
2. The facility shall operate on a first-come, first serve basis with clients only permitted on-site and admitted to the facility between 6:00 p.m. and 7:00 a.m. during Pacific Daylight Time, and 5:00 p.m. and 7:00 a.m. during Pacific Standard Time. Clients must vacate the facility by 8:00 a.m. and have no guaranteed bed for the next night, A curfew of 10:00 p.m. (or earlier) shall be established and strictly enforced and clients shall not be admitted after the curfew.
3. To avoid over-concentration of emergency shelter facilities, a minimum distance of three hundred (300) feet shall be maintained from any other emergency shelter, as measured from the property line.
4. Emergency shelters shall not be located within one thousand (1,000) feet of a public or private school (pre-school through twelfth grade), universities, colleges, student housing, senior housing, child care facilities, public parks, businesses licensed for on- or off-site sales of alcoholic beverages or parolee/probationer home as defined in Article VI, Section 16.110 (Definitions) and as measured from the property line.
5. Service providers shall provide sufficient numbers of male and female toilets - restrooms for clients and prospective clients to have access to use on a twenty-four (24) hour basis. For group housing and other similar shelter programs, adequate private male and female showers shall be provided along with lockers for clients to temporarily store their belongings.
6. Any outdoor storage, including, but not limited to, items brought on-site by clients for overnight stays, shall be screened from public view by a minimum six (6)-foot tall decorative wall or fence.
7. Adequate waiting areas must be provided within the premises for clients and prospective clients including ten (10) square feet per bed, minimum one hundred (100) square feet to ensure that public sidewalks or private walkways are not used as queuing or waiting areas.
8. Facility improvements shall comply with the Murrieta municipal code and the most current adopted building and safety code, specific to the establishment of dormitories and shall additionally provide:
a. A minimum of one (1) toilet for every eight (8) beds per gender.
b. A minimum of one (1) shower for every eight (8) beds per gender.
c. Private shower and toilet facility for each area designated for use by individual families.
9. An emergency shelter facility shall provide off-street parking:
a. The minimum parking requirement shall be whichever is less, the ratio of one (1) space per four (4) beds, and/or 0.5 per bedroom designated as a family unit with children, plus one (1) space per staff member, or the minimum parking requirement for other residential or commercial uses within the same zone whichever results in less parking being required.
b. Service providers are responsible to provide and maintain adequate parking and freight loading facilities for employees, clients and other visitors who drive to the premises.
10. Bike rack parking shall be provided at the facility.
11. Exterior lighting shall be provided for the entire outdoor and parking area of the property per the lighting standards of the Section 16.18.100 of the code.
12. The facility may provide the following services in a designated area separate from sleeping areas:
a. A recreation area inside the shelter or in an outdoor area visually separated from public view by a minimum six (6)-foot tall visually screening decorative wall or fence.
b. A counseling center for job placement, educational, health care, legal services, or mental health services.
c. Laundry facilities to serve the number of clients at the shelter.
d. Kitchen and dining area.
e. Client storage area.
f. Similar types of facilities to address the needs of homeless clients, as determined by the planning director.
13. A shelter management plan shall be submitted as a part of the conditional use permit application, which addresses all of the following:
a. Service providers shall maintain sufficient monetary resources to enable them to operate the facility per the shelter management plan, and shall demonstrate to the city prior to approval of the permit application that such funds shall be available for use upon first occupancy of the proposed project and shall reasonably be expected to be available for the life of the project;
b. A minimum of one (1) staff member per fifteen (15) beds shall be awake and on duty when the facility is open. Facility staff shall be trained in operating procedures, safety plans, and assisting clients. The facility shall not employ staff who have been convicted of a felony or who are required to register as a sex registrant under Penal Code 290;
c. Service providers shall maintain up-to-date information and referral sheets to give clients and other persons who, for any reason, cannot be served by the establishment;
d. Service providers shall provide criteria to screen clients for admittance eligibility, with the objective to provide first service to individuals with connections to Murrieta;
e. Service providers will maintain information on individuals utilizing the facility and will ensure that the maximum stay at the facility shall not exceed one-hundred and twenty (120) days in a three-hundred and sixty-five (365) day period;
f. Service providers shall continuously monitor waiting areas to inform prospective clients whether they can be served within a reasonable time. If they cannot be served by the provider because of time or resource constraints, the monitor shall inform the client of alternative programs and locations where he or she may seek similar services;
g. Service providers will educate on-site staff to provide adequate knowledge and skills to assist clients in obtaining permanent shelter and income, including referrals to outside assistance agencies. An annual report on this activity will be provided to the city;
h. Service providers shall provide for the timely removal of litter attributable to clients within the vicinity of the facility every twenty-four (24)-hour period;
i. Service providers will maintain good communication and have procedures in place to respond to operational issues which may arise from the neighborhood, city staff, or the general public;
j. The shelter management plan shall include how staff will address and regulate alcohol and illegal drug use by clients on the premises;
k. Service providers shall establish standards for responding to emergencies and incidents expelling clients from the facility, re-admittance policies for clients who have previously been expelled from the facility shall also be established.
14. The establishment shall implement other conditions and/or measures as determined by the city, in consultation with other city/county agencies necessary to ensure that management and/or clients of the establishment maintain the quiet, safety and cleanliness of the premises and the vicinity of the use; and
15. Other requirements as deemed necessary by the city to ensure that the facility does not create an adverse impact to surrounding properties.
C. Transitional Housing including Single Resident Occupancy (SRO), Standards and Regulations. Transitional housing, including efficiency residential units, also known as single resident occupancy ("SRO"), shall be subject to and comply with the following standards and regulations.
1. Units shall have a minimum size of one hundred and fifty (150) square feet and a maximum of four hundred (400) square feet.
2. Each unit shall accommodate a maximum of two (2) persons.
3. Exterior lighting shall be provided for the entire outdoor and parking area of the property per the lighting standards of the Section 16.18.100 of the code.
4. Laundry facilities must be provided in a separate room at the ratio of one (1) washer and one (1) dryer for every twenty (20) units of fractional number thereof, with at least one (1) washer and dryer per floor.
5. A cleaning supply room or utility closet with a wash tub with hot and cold running water shall be provided on each floor of the SRO (efficiency) unit facility.
6. Each unit required to provide a separate bathroom containing a lavatory and bathtub or shower.
7. Each unit shall be provided with a kitchen sink, functioning cooking appliance and a refrigerator, each having a clear working space of not less than thirty (30) inches in front.
8. Each SRO (efficiency) unit shall have a separate closet.
9. SRO (efficiency) units shall comply with all requirements of the California Building Code. All units shall comply with all applicable accessibility and adaptability requirements. All common areas shall be fully accessible.
10. An SRO (efficiency) unit project shaft not be located within five hundred (500) feet of any other SRO (efficiency) unit project, emergency shelter, or other similar program, unless such program is located within the same building or on the same lot.
11. An SRO (efficiency) unit project with ten (10) or more units shall provide on-site management. Project with less than ten (10) units may provide a management office off-site.
12. Tenancy of SRO (efficiency) units shall not be less than thirty (30) days.
13. SRO (efficiency) unit parking shall be provided as follows:
a. One (1) uncovered parking space for every three (3) SRO (efficiency) units.
b. Two (2) uncovered parking spaces for an onsite manager unit.
14. Each SRO (efficiency) unit shall be provided at least one (1) lockable bicycle parking space in a location that is adjacent to that SRO (efficiency) unit.
15. Applications for SRO (efficiency) units projects shall be processed in a manner consistent with procedures for a multiple-family residential project per Article II, Section 16.08.040.
D. Notification. In addition to the notification required by the Development Code, representatives of the police department shall be apprised of the proposed project in a timely fashion so that the department may respond to any concerns they may have regarding the proposed project.
(Ord. 598-23 § 8, 2023; Ord. 482-13 § 2, 2013; Ord. 293 § 1 (part), 2004)