City of Corona
Staff Report
400 S. Vicentia Ave.
Corona, CA 92882
File #: 22-0490
REQUEST FOR CITY COUNCIL ACTION
DATE: 07/6/2022
TO: Honorable Mayor and City Council Members
FROM: Planning & Development Department
SUBJECT:
Zone Text Amendment 2022-0001 amending Title 17 of the Corona Municipal Code, Sections
17.04.244, Section 17.44.130 and Section 17.98.072 to revise the length of stay for emergency shelters by amending the definition of Emergency Shelters and standards for emergency shelters in the M-1 (Light Industry), M-2 (General Industry), and M-3 (Heavy Industry) zones to establish a person’s duration of occupancy as consecutive days, rather than cumulative days (Applicant: City of Corona).
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY:
Zone Text Amendment 2022-0001 (ZTA2022-0001) is an application amending Title 17 of the Corona Municipal Code, Section 17.04.244, Section 17.44.130(G), and Section 17.98.072(C)(1), to revise the length of stay for persons in emergency shelters. The Corona Municipal Code limits a person’s length of stay in an emergency shelter to 180 days within a one-year period. The amendment will remove this restriction and allow more flexibility in the length of stay by revising the language within the municipal code to allow no more than 180 consecutive days. This means if an individual is a resident at the City’s emergency shelter for 180 consecutive days, the resident can re-enter the shelter after leaving the shelter for a period of 24 hours and stay another 180 consecutive days.
RECOMMENDED ACTION:
That the City Council:
a. Approve ZTA2022-0001, as recommended by the Planning and Housing Commission. b. Introduce by title only and waive full reading for consideration of Ordinance No. 3343, first reading of an ordinance amending Sections 17.04.244, 17.44.130, and 17.98.072 of Title 17 (ZONING) of the Corona Municipal Code to modify the definitions and standards for emergency shelters in the M-1, M-2, and M-3 Zones (ZTA2022-0001).
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File #: 22-0490
BACKGROUND & HISTORY:
On November 3, 2021, the City Council approved the 2021-2029 update to the City’s General Plan Housing Element. The Housing Element evaluates the City’s existing and projected housing needs, and it establishes goals and policies that are intended to provide housing for all economic segments of the City’s population.
The Housing Element also includes 27 “programs” that achieve the City’s housing goals. The programs include both qualitative and quantitative objectives, and actions to achieve the objectives.
Housing Element 2021-2029 Program 21 addresses housing for persons experiencing homelessness.
It clarifies that the City Council adopted a Strategic Plan in June 2020 to address homelessness, and it lists eight (8) objectives to further the City’s goal of eliminating homelessness. One of these objectives is:
· Consider establishing a maximum length of stay for emergency shelters to have a limit of no more than 180 consecutive days, instead of a total of 180 days.
Currently, the Corona Municipal Code (CMC) defines an Emergency Shelter as a place that houses individuals for a total of 180 days in a one-year period. Additionally, the standards for emergency shelters in the M-1, M-2, and M-3 zones are consistent with the CMC definition. An amendment to the Emergency Shelter definition and to the standards for emergency shelters is needed to achieve the objective listed in Housing Element Program 21.
ANALYSIS:
The Zone Text Amendment (ZTA2022-0001) proposes to amend the definition of Emergency Shelter in CMC Section 17.04.244, the standards for emergency shelters in the M-1 zone in CMC Section
17.44.130(G), and standards for emergency shelters in the M-2 (General Industry) and M-3 (Heavy Industry) zones in Section 17.98.072(C)(1) to clarify that the duration of occupancy is consecutive days. Additionally, the Planning and Housing Commission at their meeting on May 23, 2022, removed the language “in a one-year period.” The amendment proposes the following changes to the CMC.
17.04.244 Emergency shelter.
“Emergency shelter” means housing with minimal supportive services for target populations that is limited to occupancy of 180 consecutive days or less within any one year period. No individual or household may be denied emergency shelter because of an inability to pay.
17.44.130 Standards for emergency shelters in the M-1 zone (G) The length of stay for any client shall be a maximum of 180 consecutive nights in any one year period;
17.98.072 Emergency shelter for the homeless.
(C) Any approval by the Board of Zoning Adjustment for an emergency shelter shall be City of Corona Page 2 of 4 Printed on 6/30/2022
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subject to conditions of approval which must include, but are not limited to, the following:
(1) No person will be allowed to sleep at the same shelter for more than a total of 180 consecutive nights in any one year period.
Staff noticed after the decision by the Planning and Housing Commission that Section 17.98.072(C) (1) should have also been included as part of the amendment, and it is now included for Council’s consideration. This section refers to emergency shelters in the M-2 and M-3 zones which is identical to the standards listed for shelters in the M-1 zone and the municipal code definition for emergency shelters. For consistency purposes, the revised ordinance will include the same amendment to Section 17.98.072(C)(1).
The revisions to the City’s definition of Emergency Shelter is consistent with the City’s recently adopted Housing Element, as reflected in Housing Element Program 21 and Housing Element Goal H2, which are as follows:
GOAL H-2: Promote and preserve suitable and affordable housing for persons with special needs, including large families, single parent households, persons with disabilities, and seniors and shelter for the unhoused.
Policy H-2.4: Provide emergency shelter with transitional support for City residents, including disadvantaged groups.
FINANCIAL IMPACT:
ZTA2022-0001 is an application by the City. Therefore, no application fees were paid for the processing of this application. Amending the definition does not impact the number of available beds or significantly impact the operational costs of City Facilities.
ENVIRONMENTAL ANALYSIS:
This action is exempt pursuant to Section 15061(b)(3) of the Guidelines for the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA), which states that a project is exempt from CEQA if the activity is covered by the common sense exemption that CEQA applies only to projects that have the potential for causing a significant effect on the environment. Where it can be seen with certainty that there is no possibility that the activity in question may have a significant effect on the environment, the activity is not subject to CEQA. This action involves minor text changes that will facilitate the City’s efforts to provide services to persons experiencing homelessness. This action involves no physical impacts and does not modify density or capacity. As such, there is no possibility that adopting this Ordinance will have a significant effect on the environment. Therefore, no environmental analysis is required.
PLANNING AND HOUSING COMMISSION ACTION:
At its meeting of May 23, 2022, the Planning and Housing Commission considered the subject matter and took the following action:
Motion was made, seconded (Woody/Alexander) and carried unanimously, that the Planning and Housing Commission recommend approval of ZTA2022-0001 to the City Council, based on the findings in the staff report, and removing the wording, within a one year period from Sections City of Corona Page 3 of 4 Printed on 6/30/2022
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findings in the staff report, and removing the wording, within a one year period from Sections
17.04.244 and 17.44.130. The minutes of the Planning and Housing Commission meeting are included as Exhibit 4.
PREPARED BY: JOANNE COLETTA, PLANNING & DEVELOPMENT DIRECTOR Attachments:
1. Exhibit 1 - City Ordinance No. 3343 - (Clean Version)
2. Exhibit 2 - City Ordinance No. 3343 - (Redline Version)
3. Exhibit 3 - Planning and Housing Commission Staff Report
4. Exhibit 4 - Draft Minutes of the Planning and Housing Commission meeting of May 23, 2022 City of Corona Page 4 of 4 Printed on 6/30/2022
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