AB 2176: Shelter crisis: emergency bridge housing communities.

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.

This bill, until January 1, 2022, upon a declaration of a shelter crisis by the City of San Jose would authorize emergency housing to include an emergency bridge housing community for the homeless. The bill would define an emergency bridge housing community to include, but not be limited to, housing in temporary structures including, but not limited to, emergency sleeping cabins, as defined. The bill, in lieu of compliance with state and local building, housing, health, habitability, or safety standards and laws, would authorize the city to adopt by ordinance reasonable local standards for emergency bridge housing communities, as specified. The bill would require the Department of Housing and Community Development to review 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, among other things, to match each resident of an emergency bridge housing community to an affordable housing unit identified in the citys housing plan that will be available for the resident to live in on or before January 1, 2022, and develop a plan for emergency bridge housing communities to include on-site supportive services. The bill would further require the city to annually report to the Legislature specific information on emergency bridge housing communities, including, among other information, the number of residents in every emergency bridge housing community and the actual and projected number of permanent affordable housing units available through January 1, 2022.

This bill would make legislative findings and declarations as to the necessity of a special statute for the City of San Jose.