The Marin County Board of Supervisors declared a “shelter crisis” at its March 11 meeting, a move that, partnered with changes to the building code, enables the addition of emergency shelter such as for removable cabins or recreational vehicles.
The crisis designation will be in place for three years and allows a wider range of solutions for temporary shelter. Projects on County property will bypass local zoning requirements and environmental review.
“Marin County is now poised to partner with community organizations, property owners and those affected by homelessness to act quickly to create temporary emergency shelter while more permanent housing solutions can be addressed,” said Marin County District 4 Supervisor Dennis Rodoni, who represents residents of West Marin. “We’re bringing a sense of urgency to a critical housing shortage, especially in West Marin, that is only being made worse by the loss of ranching operations that will leave workers displaced.”
The additional tools provided by the designation will reduce the barriers to developing temporary emergency shelter. The Board must now adopt new building code standards for emergency shelter developed during the declared shelter crisis, pursuant to California Government Code section 8698. These new tools allow for a wide variety of temporary shelter types. For example, current County building codes do not allow buildings without a permanent foundation, which is a significant barrier to temporary solutions that are relatively easy to put in place and later remove.
No funding is provided to build temporary emergency shelters or emergency housing units and the declaration would apply only to the unincorporated areas of Marin County. Only someone currently designated as homeless could live in any of the temporary emergency housing created through this crisis declaration.
“What is particularly exciting is that private property owners can now legally add temporary shelter that does not have a permanent foundation, a major change to current regulations,” said Sarah Jones, Marin County’s Community Development Agency director. “The goal is and always will be permanent housing. This measure makes it possible for people to live in better conditions while permanent housing is being added.”
The designation of a shelter crisis will benefit, among others, the Point Reyes National Seashore ranch and dairy tenants being displaced by a recent settlement to end most ranching operations.
“This shelter crisis designation provides us with one more tool to help those living on the street or in a vehicle,” said Gary Naja-Riese, director of the County’s Homelessness and Coordinated Care Division. “More tools for developing emergency shelter gives people a chance to get the additional services they need that can be truly life-changing and lifesaving.”