group homes of 6 or fewer equals residential use under California law

California Health And Safety Code Section 1267.8 - California Attorney Resources - California Laws

California Health And Safety Code Section 1267.8

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(a) An intermediate care facility/developmentally disabled
habilitative or an intermediate care facility/developmentally
disabled --nursing or a congregate living health facility shall meet
the same fire safety standards adopted by the State Fire Marshal
pursuant to Sections 13113, 13113.5, 13143, and 13143.6 that apply to
community care facilities, as defined in Section 1502, of similar
size and with residents of similar age and ambulatory status. No
other state or local regulations relating to fire safety shall apply
to these facilities and the requirements specified in this section
shall be uniformly enforced by state and local fire authorities.
(b) An intermediate care facility/developmentally disabled
habilitative or an intermediate care facility/developmentally
disabled--nursing or a congregate living health facility shall meet
the same seismic safety requirements applied to community care
facilities of similar size with residents of similar age and
ambulatory status. No additional requirements relating to seismic
safety shall apply to such facilities.
(c) Whether or not unrelated persons are living together, an
intermediate care facility/developmentally disabled habilitative
which serves six or fewer persons or an intermediate care
facility/developmentally disabled--nursing which serves six or fewer
persons or a congregate living health facility shall be considered a
residential use of property for the purposes of this article. In
addition, the residents and operators of the facility shall be
considered a family for the purposes of any law or zoning ordinance
which is related to the residential use of property pursuant to this
article.
For the purposes of all local ordinances, an intermediate care
facility/developmentally disabled habilitative which serves six or
fewer persons or an intermediate care facility/developmentally
disabled--nursing which serves six or fewer persons or a congregate
living health facility shall not be included within the definition of
a boarding house, rooming house, institution or home for the care of
minors, the aged, or the mentally infirm, foster care home, guest
home, rest home, sanitarium, mental hygiene home, or other similar
term which implies that the intermediate care
facility/developmentally disabled habilitative or intermediate care
facility/developmentally disabled--nursing or a congregate living
health facility is a business run for profit or differs in any other
way from a single-family residence.
This section does not forbid any city, county, or other local
public entity from placing restrictions on building heights, setback,
lot dimensions, or placement of signs of an intermediate care
facility/developmentally disabled habilitative which serves six or
fewer persons or an intermediate care facility/developmentally
disabled--nursing which serves six or fewer persons or a congregate
living health facility as long as such restrictions are identical to
those applied to other single-family residences.
This section does not forbid the application to an intermediate
care facility/developmentally disabled habilitative or an
intermediate care facility/developmentally disabled--nursing or a
congregate living health facility of any local ordinance which deals
with health and safety, building standards, environmental impact
standards, or any other matter within the jurisdiction of a local
public entity, as long as that ordinance does not distinguish
intermediate care facility/developmentally disabled habilitative
which serves six or fewer persons or an intermediate care
facility/developmenta lly disabled--nursing or a congregate living
health facility from other single-family dwellings and that the
ordinance does not distinguish residents of the intermediate care
facility/developmentally disabled habilitative or intermediate care
facility/developmentally disabled--nursing which serves six or fewer
persons or a congregate living health facility from persons who
reside in other single-family dwellings.
No conditional use permit, zoning variance, or other zoning
clearance shall be required of an intermediate care
facility/developmentally disabled habilitative which serves six or
fewer persons or an intermediate care facility/developmentally
disabled--nursing which serves six or fewer persons or a congregate
living health facility which is not required of a single-family
residence in the same zone.
Use of a single-family dwelling for purposes of an intermediate
care facility/developmentally disabled habilitative serving six or
fewer persons or an intermediate care facility/developmentally
disabled--nursing which serves six or fewer persons or a congregate
living health facility shall not constitute a change of occupancy for
purposes of Part 1.5 (commencing with Section 17910) of Division 13
or local building codes. However, nothing in this section supersedes
Section 13143 to the extent these provisions are applicable to
intermediate care facility/developmentally disabled habilitative
providing care for six or fewer residents or an intermediate care
facility/developmentally disabled--nursing serving six or fewer
persons or a congregate living health facility.