Workgroup reviews draft emergency‑shelter appendix, staff seeks jurisdictional data

SBCC staff presented a draft Appendix U to provide consistent, optional standards for temporary emergency shelters and village‑style emergency housing, fulfilling direction in the 2023 Legislature (SB 5553). The staff member said the current building code is largely silent on some emergency shelter typologies and that the appendix is intended to offer jurisdictions clear alternate methods for rapid deployment.

The staff member said relaxed requirements and alternate methods in the appendix should reduce the time and cost to establish emergency housing compared with full building code compliance, though staff did not identify concrete statewide cost studies for that claim. “I don’t have any specific articles to cite for this economic analysis,” the staff member said, and recommended outreach to jurisdictions for implementation data.

Members discussed which NAICS categories to list for potential small‑business impacts (construction, design and manufacturing of temporary shelters) and noted that manufacturing categories tied to factory‑built shelter products may not perfectly map to existing NAICS codes. Todd Beyreuther observed the appendix need not strictly prove a dollar savings because the primary objective is to create a rapid, clear pathway for emergency housing.

Staff said jurisdictions that adopt the appendix will set local fees and inspection regimes and that nationwide typology variance makes statewide quantification premature. The workgroup did not take formal action to forward the appendix at this meeting; staff will refine small‑business categories and seek additional jurisdictional input before the next review.