Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Temporary Housing topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Council weighs temporary housing rules: size, duration, occupancy and enforcement
Summary
Staff proposed limiting temporary post‑fire housing to 1,000 square feet, fastened units when on wheels, an initial 4‑year use with possible extensions and stronger fines and removal for misuse; council and public pressed for clarity on who may occupy units and enforcement mechanisms.
City staff presented a package of temporary housing provisions intended to give displaced residents a short‑term place to live while they rebuild. The staff proposal described a number of features intended to make temporary housing both useful and tightly controlled.
Key staff proposals included lowering a proposed maximum unit size to 1,000 square feet (so a temporary unit could later convert to an accessory dwelling unit under city ADU rules), requiring that manufactured units on wheels be secured/fastened to the ground, and allowing temporary units only for the property owner or the tenant who occupied the property at the date of the fire. Tyler explained that the city’s “original proposal was to go down to 1,000 square feet to match the current ADU law.”
Council and staff also discussed duration. Staff described a default 4‑year allowance with the council able to consider extending to a 6‑year default or permitting two additional 2‑year extensions. The draft included enforcement mechanisms: fines and a permit revocation pathway; council members directed staff to draft stronger removal authority so the city can remove a unit that is used in violation of the rules. One draft enforcement measure raised at the hearing was a daily fine (council discussion centered on $1,000 per day as a credible penalty) and a condition that noncompliant temporary housing be ordered removed and the property temporarily ineligible for replacement temporary housing for a set period.
Occupancy: Staff and council debated who may live in a permitted temporary unit. The working draft limited occupancy to the property owner, their family members or a tenant who occupied the property at the date of the disaster; councilmembers discussed adding other household members or cohabitants by name. Councilmembers emphasized the ordinance should prevent commercial use or short‑term rental of temporary units and sought a clear enforcement path to remove units used as rentals.
Why it matters: Temporary housing rules affect displaced people’ ability to remain on their lots during a multi‑year rebuild. The balance the council must strike is between granting residents reasonable, safe shelter and preventing misuse that would turn temporary units into de facto permanent, revenue‑generating rentals.
Next steps: Staff will draft clearer permit conditions and a recommended enforcement approach for the council to consider, with the goal of allowing rebuild applicants to act quickly once final rules are adopted.
