ZO Amendment Emergency Shelters

POD: 20-008

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On May 19, 2020, the Board of Supervisors (BOS) provided direction for staff to amend the Zoning Ordinance. The amendments are to assist persons experiencing homelessness and minimize the impacts associated with homelessness on County facilities. Planning & Development Services (PDS) desires public input on the Zoning Ordinance Amendments which was presented to the Planning Commission and Board of Supervisors for adoption in fall 2021. 

On January 26, 2021, the County of San Diego Board of Supervisors adopted an ordinance amending the San Diego County Zoning Ordinance Related to Basic Provisions, Definitions, and General Regulations.

Project Description: The project amended the County of San Diego Zoning Ordinance to exempt County-owned, operated, and leased Emergency Shelters, as well as Transitional and Supportive Housing, from the Zoning Ordinance provisions. The project also expands the definition of “homeless shelter” to include (1) safety parking facilities that are not an RV park or mobile home park, (2) safe storage facilities, (3) safe camping facilities receiving direct financial assistance from the County of San Diego, and (4) day shelter facilities. For more information on the project, please see the key Board documents below:

Project Background

The Board of Supervisors (Board) declared a Shelter Crisis Emergency on September 11, 2018. To further the County’s commitment to addressing the concerns surrounding homelessness, on January 28, 2020, the Board directed the Chief Administrative Officer to take the necessary steps for immediate, short-term, and long-term solutions to address the homeless situation in the unincorporated areas of the County, including identifying sites and properties that could be acquired for an emergency, temporary and permanent housing.  

On May 19, 2020, the Board provided direction for staff to amend the Zoning Ordinance. The amendments are to facilitate the development of permanent ordinances that will assist persons experiencing homelessness, and minimize the impacts associated with homelessness on County facilities.

What is the Zoning Ordinance?

The Zoning Ordinance was adopted by the Board of Supervisors to regulate land uses in the unincorporated (non-city) portions of the County of San Diego. The unincorporated area is divided into zones according to the present and potential uses of the land. By zoning land, citizens ensure that new growth and development will take place according to an orderly plan. 

This project addresses the following board directions:

Authorized the Chief Administrative Officer to pursue permanent amendments to the Zoning Ordinance to allow:

a. A broader definition of the county-owned-and-operated facilities exemption in Section 1006 to include County owned or operated facilities, and County facilities that are leased or contracted by a third party to provide a public purpose, which would include emergency shelters and other health or social service facilities (and including a non-exclusive list of examples of such facilities) owned, operated, or financed by the County;

b. Expansion of the definition of “Emergency Shelter” to include safe parking, safe camping, safe storage, and day shelter activity;

c. Authorizes use of properties leased from the State of California located in the unincorporated area of the County for emergency shelter;

d. A broader definition of the county-owned-and-operated facilities exemption in Section 1006 to include transitional and permanent supportive housing owned, operated, or financed in whole or in part by the County.

Authorized the Chief Administrative Officer to develop proposed ordinances intended to minimize the impacts associated with homelessness on park and recreation users and facilities and return to the Board for consideration.

On April 6, 2021, the Board of Supervisors directed staff to continue with the amendments to the Zoning Ordinance, and suspend current efforts previously directed by the Board on May 19, 2020, that authorized the development of an ordinance intended to minimize the impacts associated with homelessness on park and recreation users and facilities. Amendments to the Zoning Ordinance will continue as per the April 6, 2021, direction shown below:

Directed the CAO to accelerate work on future Zoning Ordinance changes previously directed by the Board on May 19, 2020, in order to streamline the location of emergency and permanent supportive housing, and other facilities to support people experiencing homelessness, and seek input from the community, led by appropriate HHSA staff, to establish a framework for the appropriate siting of such locations, to determine the best approach to address environmental or other regulatory consideration that are current barriers to such changes, and report back to the Board within 90-days.

Public Engagements

In August 2021, PDS held two public webinars which introduced the draft amendments to the Zoning Ordinance and collected feedback on the proposed revisions.

In June 2021, PDS held two public webinars which introduced the draft amendments to the Zoning Ordinance and collected feedback on the proposed revisions.

In the Fall and Winter of 2020, PDS hosted two public webinars introducing the Board direction and providing an overview of potential Zoning Ordinance revisions. Both of these webinars covered the same information. Recordings of the engagements are below

November 17, 2020, 5:00 pm to 7:00 pm

Recorded Webinar: