To: Board of Supervisors
From: Planning and Building Department
Agenda Section: Public Hearing
Vote Requirement: Majority
SUBJECT:
title
Amendments to the Inland and Coastal Safe Parking - Safe Shelter Pilot Program Ordinances Allowing an Extension of the Ordinances Until Jan. 1, 2036, Updating Building Code References (Building Code Appendices Q and CJ), and Adding a Provision to Restrict the Disposal of Greywater or Blackwater from Recreational Vehicles at Sites Within the Coastal Zone end
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RECOMMENDATION(S):
Recommendation
That the Board of Supervisors:
1. Adopt the resolutions (Attachments 1 and 2) which do the following:
a. Find the Inland and Coastal Safe Parking - Safe Shelter Pilot Program Ordinance Amendments exempt from CEQA pursuant to Section 21080(b)(4) of the Public Resources Code and Section 15269(c) of the CEQA Guidelines, and the Coastal Safe Parking - Safe Shelter Amendments are exempt from CEQA pursuant to section 15265 of the CEQA Guidelines; and
b. Find the Inland and Coastal Safe Parking - Safe Shelter Pilot Program Ordinance amendments and extensions comply with the General Plan, local coastal program, and Coastal Act; and
c. Find the Inland and Coastal Safe Parking - Safe Shelter Pilot Program Ordinance extensions and amendments are in the public interest; and
2. Adopt the Ordinance Amending Title III, Division 1, Chapter 4 of Humboldt County Code by Amending Sections 314-61.05 of Chapter 4 of Division 1 of Title III of the Humboldt County Code to Allow an Extension of the Ordinance Until Jan. 1, 2036, and Updating Building Code References (Building Code Appendices Q and CJ) (Attachment 3); and
3. Adopt the Ordinance Amending Title III, Division 1, Chapter 3 of Humboldt County Code by Adding Section 313-61.1 to Chapter 4 of Division 1 of Title III of the Humboldt County Code to Allow an Extension of the Ordinance Until Jan. 1, 2036, Updating Building Code References (Building Code Appendices Q and CJ), and Adding a Provision to Restrict the Disposal of Greywater of Blackwater from Recreational Vehicles at Sites Within the Coastal Zone (Attachment 4); and
4. Direct the Clerk of the Board to publish a Post-Adoption Summary of the Inland Safe Parking - Safe Shelter Pilot Program Ordinance (Attachment 5) within 15 days after adoption by the Board, and to post in the Office of the Clerk of the Board of Supervisors a certified copy of the full text of the adopted ordinance along with the names of those supervisors voting for and against the ordinance.
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STRATEGIC PLAN:
This action supports the following areas of your Board’s Strategic Plan.
Area of Focus: Housing for All
Strategic Plan Category: 4001 - Provide housing and sheltering solutions for people experiencing homelessness
DISCUSSION:
The Board is being asked to extend the Inland and Coastal Safe Parking - Safe Shelter Ordinances until Jan. 1, 2036. This is in line with the state’s decision to extend the provisions of a shelter crisis declaration to that date (Government Code Section 8698.4). The building code references for affordable housing have changed since the original approval and these are being corrected. The coastal version of the ordinance initially omitted the grey water and blackwater provisions contained in the inland version and these are being added. The inland ordinance has been codified which means this amendment will amend the Humboldt County Code. The coastal ordinance was never forwarded to the Coastal Commission and thus was not certified. The proposed coastal amendments will amend the original coastal ordinance and add provisions consistent with the inland version, and will then be sent to the Coastal Commission. There is an existing facility in process in the inland area. The inland amendments retain the original components of the ordinance and make slight adjustments consistent with changes in state law. The Coastal version makes the same adjustments and adds the septic provisions which are included in the inland ordinance. There is no known controversy in extending and making these modifications. The Planning Commission voted unanimously to approve the ordinance modifications.
The Safe Parking - Safe Shelter ordinances were initiated to implement the General Plan Housing Element (Implementation Measure H-IM56) which directs the county to fund and implement a safe parking pilot program and adopt an enabling ordinance or resolution for the pilot program. On June 7, 2022, the Board held a public hearing on the Inland and Coastal Safe Parking - Safe Shelter Pilot Program Ordinance and unanimously approved the Pilot Program in the inland and coastal areas. These ordinances allow a government agency, religious institution, non-profit charitable organization, or private non-profit organization to operate a Safe Parking - Safe Shelter site to provide homeless individuals and families living in a vehicle or outside a safe place to park or sleep at no cost while accessing services.
While the inland ordinance became effective 30 days after approval by the Board of Supervisors, the coastal ordinance still requires certification from the Coastal Commission to become effective. Both pilot program ordinances were set to expire 18 months from the effective date (January 2024 for the inland ordinance), unless otherwise extended. The purpose of structuring this as a pilot program was to determine the effectiveness of the ordinance before adopting it as a permanent ordinance.
At the end of November 2023, the Inland Safe Parking - Safe Shelter Pilot Program Ordinance was not being utilized by any entity. During the 16 months since the inland ordinance’s effective date, nobody had initiated a facility. To determine if there were provisions within the ordinance that discouraged the development of a safe parking facility, Planning and Building staff contacted the Department of Health and Human Services along with several homeless advocacy groups to research potential reasons as to why the program was not being utilized. The primary reason was that these groups, and potential participants, were not aware of the available pilot program, and also the lack of available funding to support such an operation. While no facilities were in operation, it was expressed by the public and advocacy groups that these types of programs are greatly needed in Humboldt County to assist in addressing homelessness.
Rather than letting the inland pilot program expire without being tested, on Jan. 9, 2024, the Board of Supervisors unanimously voted to extend the inland ordinance for an additional two years to allow the Planning and Building Department to conduct a public information effort and work with interested agencies to encourage development of Safe Parking - Safe Shelter facilities. The inland ordinance expired on Jan. 7, 2026, and during the two-year extension the Planning and Building Department received 1 application for a safe shelter facility, which was approved in June of 2025. However, no development has occurred on the site in association to the approval or to establish operation of the facility.
As the inland ordinance expired on Jan. 7, 2026, staff is recommending that both the inland and coastal pilot program ordinances be extended until Jan. 1, 2036, in line with the state’s decision to extend the shelter crisis declaration and provisions of Government Code Section 8698.4 until Jan. 1, 2036. Government Code Section 8698.4 allows the use of emergency housing building code standards for emergency housing operations during the declaration of a shelter crisis. The proposed amendments to the inland and coastal ordinances will include updating language under subsections 61.05.3 (inland) and 60.1.3 (coastal) changing references to the California Building Code Appendix X and California Residential Code Appendix O, Emergency Housing standards, to reference the most current building codes: Appendices Q and CJ. These changes will require facilities to comply with the most current applicable building code for Emergency Housing standards.
The Board originally adopted the coastal ordinance as Section 313-61.05. This section number is already in use, and the new section number will be 313-60.1.
A provision to restrict the disposal of greywater or blackwater from recreational vehicles at sites, unless documentation is provided to show legal disposal in its management plan, will be added to the coastal ordinance.
The Planning Commission held a public hearing on this item at the March 19, 2026 meeting and unanimously voted to adopt Resolutions 26-013 and 26-014 (Attachments 6 and 7) and approve the recommended changes to the inland and coastal ordinances. The inland ordinance would become effective 30 days after Board approval, and the coastal ordinance still requires certification from the Coastal Commission to become effective.
Environmental Review: The proposed ordinance amendments and extensions are statutorily exempt from CEQA pursuant to Section 21080(b)(4) of the Public Resources Code (specific actions necessary to prevent or mitigate an emergency) and Section 15269(c) of the CEQA Guidelines (actions necessary to prevent or mitigate an emergency).
SOURCE OF FUNDING:
The salary funding for research, staff tasks, and preparing the draft ordinance and staff report is included in the General Fund contribution to the Long-Range Planning unit (1100-282).
FINANCIAL IMPACT:
Staff costs and other expenses related to research, staff tasks, and preparing the ordinance amendments and staff reports for PC and BOS hearings total approximately $10,850.
STAFFING IMPACT:
Staff time related to research and drafting the proposed ordinance amendments was accomplished with current staff resources. There is no anticipated increase in workload for Planning Staff related to the adoption of the amended Inland and Coastal Safe Parking - Safe Shelter Pilot Program Ordinances.
OTHER AGENCY INVOLVEMENT:
The ordinances were referred to County Counsel, the Sheriff’s Department, the Department of Health and Human Services, and Building Inspection. The Building Official identified the changes to the Building Code. The changes are reflected in the ordinance and discussion above.
ALTERNATIVES TO STAFF RECOMMENDATIONS:
1. The Board of Supervisors could choose not to approve the amendments to the Inland or Coastal Safe Parking - Safe Shelter Pilot Program Ordinances allowing the extension of these ordinances until Jan. 1, 2036. This alternative should be implemented if the Board is unable to make all the required findings. Staff has determined that the required findings can be made and does not recommend further consideration of this alternative to continue allowing the use of provisions in the ordinance.
ATTACHMENTS:
1. Draft Inland Resolution
2. Draft Coastal Resolution
3. Amended Inland Ordinance
4. Amended Coastal Ordinance
5. Post-Adoption Summary
6. Inland PC Resolution 26-013
7. Coastal PC Resolution 26-014
8. Referral Comments
PREVIOUS ACTION/REFERRAL:
Planning Commission Meeting of: March 19, 2026
File No.: 26-190
Board of Supervisors Meeting of: January 9, 2024
File No.: 24-32
Board of Supervisors Meeting of: June 7, 2022
File No.: 22-561