CORRESPONDENCE - 50A - Laserfiche WebLink

Home Browse Search

41 The Saber Living Network June 17, 2016 City Council Community Development Department City of Santa Ana 20 Civic Center Plaza Santa Ana, CA 92701 Re: Comments on proposed ordinance regarding multiple tenancies in single apartment units The Sober Living Network sets standards for, certifies and supports approximately 500 independent sober living homes in Southern California, and has been performing this service for over 20 years. Through our Orange County Sober Living Coalition we have been active in Santa Ana for most of that time. Our expertise is in standards and support services through which sober living homes operate as true community assets. We are co-founders of the National Alliance for Recovery Residences (NARR), the national standard-setting and advocacy organization for sober living homes and other types of recovery residences. NARR and the Network regularly consult with state and local governments on best practices for individual providers and for statewide systems of residences. We are not attorneys, but we do encounter discriminatory and at times hostile environments from time to time. We have extensive experience in fair housing matters where the rights of disabled individuals are affected or threatened. We often advise local governments on permissible zoning regulations in situations where fair housing rights are an issue. Our experience in California and elsewhere suggests that local governments are often induced by local residents to violate their obligations to persons with disabilities. We were alerted to your pending moratorium, immediate penalties for perhaps hundreds of existing Santa Ana landlords, and the underlying rationale for these actions by a well-regarded addiction recovery services provider who is a member of our organization. In reviewing the proposed ordinance, a few things raise concerns. Sober living households operate as single family -like units, and are protected in their access to housing by California and Federal law. Although most sober living homes are sited in single-family dwellings and neighborhoods, many utilize multifamily dwellings. Fair housing laws are applicable regardless of the dwelling type. The proposed ordinance fails to distinguish between uses that are protected by law and those that are not. Specifically, the law would make the following provisions effective immediately, and for a period of at least 45 days and perhaps longer at the discretion of the City Council: P.O. Box 5235 1 Santa Monica, CA 90409 1 (310) 396-5270 www.soberhousing.net I info@soberhousing.net