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Appendix Q — EMERGENCY HOUSING

Section Q102 — DEFINITIONS

2025 California Building Code (Title 24, Part 2) · 2025 edition · updated 2026-07-27 · California

Italicized text is a California amendment to the model code, as printed in the official publication.

Q102.1 General.

The following words and terms shall, for the purposes of this appendix, have the meanings shown herein. Refer to Chapter 2 of this code for general definitions.

DECLARATION OF SHELTER CRISIS. The duly proclaimed existence of a situation in which a significant number of persons are without the ability to obtain shelter, resulting in a threat to their health and safety. (See Government Code Section 8698.)

DEPENDENT UNIT. Emergency housing not equipped with a kitchen area, toilet and sewage disposal system. Recreational vehicles that are not self-contained and without utility service connections shall be considered dependent units.

EMERGENCY HOUSING. Housing in a permanent or temporary structure(s), occupied during a declaration of state of emergency, local emergency or shelter crisis. Emergency housing may include, but is not limited to, buildings and structures constructed in accordance with the California Building Standards Code; and emergency sleeping cabins, emergency transportable housing units and tents constructed in accordance with this appendix.

EMERGENCY HOUSING FACILITIES. On-site common use facilities supporting emergency housing. Emergency housing facilities include, but are not limited to, kitchen areas, toilets, showers and bathrooms with running water. The use of emergency housing facilities is limited exclusively to the occupants of the emergency housing, personnel involved in operating the housing and other emergency personnel.

EMERGENCY HOUSING SITE. A site containing emergency housing and emergency housing facilities supporting the emergency housing.

EMERGENCY SLEEPING CABIN . Relocatable hard-sided structure constructed in accordance with this appendix, which may be occupied only for emergency housing if allowed by the enforcing agency.

EMERGENCY TRANSPORTABLE HOUSING UNIT. A single- or multiple-section prefabricated structure that is transportable by a vehicle and that can be installed on a permanent or temporary site in response to a need for emergency housing. Emergency transportable housing units include, but are not limited to, manufactured homes, mobilehomes, multifamily manufactured homes, recreational vehi- cles and park trailers. For the purposes of this appendix, emergency transportable housing units may also include commercial modulars as defined in the Health and Safety Code Section 18001.8, if approved by the enforcing agency.

Emergency transportable housing units do not include factory-built housing as defined in the Health and Safety Code Section 19971.

LANDING PLATFORM. A landing provided as the top step of a stairway accessing a loft.

LOCAL EMERGENCY. Local Emergency as defined in the Government Code, Section 8558.

LOFT. A floor level located more than 30 inches (762 mm) above the main floor and open to it on at least one side with a ceiling height of less than 6 feet 8 inches (2032 mm), used as a living or sleeping space.

MANUFACTURED HOME. A structure designed to be used as a single-family dwelling, as defined in the Health and Safety Code, Section 18007.

MEMBRANE STRUCTURE. An air-inflated, air-supported, cable or frame-covered structure, not otherwise defined as a tent. (See Chapter 31 of this code.)

MOBILEHOME. A structure designed to be used as a single-family dwelling, as defined in the Health and Safety Code, Section 18008.

MULTIFAMILY MANUFACTURED HOME. A structure designed to contain not less than two dwelling units, as defined in the Health and Safety Code, Section 18008.7.

PARK TRAILER. A trailer designed for human habitation that meets all requirements in the Health and Safety Code, Section 18009.3.

RECREATIONAL VEHICLE. A motor home, travel trailer, truck camper or camping trailer, with or without motive power, designed for human habitation, that meets all requirements in the Health and Safety Code, Section 18010.

STATE OF EMERGENCY. State of Emergency as defined in the Government Code, Section 8558.

TENT. A structure, enclosure or shelter, with or without sidewalls or drops, constructed of fabric or pliable material supported by any manner except by air or the contents that it protects.

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▸ Contents — 2025 California Building Code (Title 24, Part 2)
2025 California Building Code (Title 24, Part 2)
  1. Chapter 1 — ADMINISTRATION
  2. Chapter 2 — DEFINITIONS
  3. Chapter 3 — OCCUPANCY CLASSIFICATION AND USE
  4. Chapter 4 — SPECIAL DETAILED REQUIREMENTS BASED ON OCCUPANCY A…
  5. Chapter 5 — GENERAL BUILDING HEIGHTS AND AREAS
  6. Chapter 6 — TYPES OF CONSTRUCTION
  7. Chapter 7 — FIRE AND SMOKE PROTECTION FEATURES
  8. Chapter 7A — MATERIALS AND CONSTRUCTION METHODS FOR EXTERIOR W…
  9. Chapter 8 — INTERIOR FINISHES
  10. Chapter 9 — FIRE PROTECTION AND LIFE SAFETY SYSTEMS
  11. Chapter 10 — MEANS OF EGRESS
  12. Chapter 11 — RESERVED
  13. Chapter 11A — HOUSING ACCESSIBILITY
  14. Chapter 11B — ACCESSIBILITY TO PUBLIC BUILDINGS, PUBLIC ACCOMM…
  15. Chapter 12 — INTERIOR ENVIRONMENT
  16. Chapter 13 — ENERGY EFFICIENCY
  17. Chapter 14 — EXTERIOR WALLS
  18. Chapter 15 — ROOF ASSEMBLIES AND ROOFTOP STRUCTURES
  19. Chapter 16 — STRUCTURAL DESIGN
  20. Chapter 16A — STRUCTURAL DESIGN
  21. Chapter 17 — SPECIAL INSPECTIONS AND TESTS
  22. Chapter 17A — SPECIAL INSPECTIONS AND TESTS
  23. Chapter 18 — SOILS AND FOUNDATIONS
  24. Chapter 18A — SOILS AND FOUNDATIONS
  25. Chapter 19 — CONCRETE
  26. Chapter 19A — CONCRETE
  27. Chapter 20 — ALUMINUM
  28. Chapter 21 — MASONRY
  29. Chapter 21A — MASONRY
  30. Chapter 22 — STEEL
  31. Chapter 22A — STEEL
  32. Chapter 23 — WOOD
  33. Chapter 24 — GLASS AND GLAZING
  34. Chapter 25 — GYPSUM PANEL PRODUCTS AND PLASTER
  35. Chapter 26 — PLASTIC
  36. Chapter 27 — ELECTRICAL
  37. Chapter 28 — MECHANICAL SYSTEMS
  38. Chapter 29 — PLUMBING SYSTEMS
  39. Chapter 30 — ELEVATORS AND CONVEYING SYSTEMS
  40. Chapter 31 — SPECIAL CONSTRUCTION
  41. Chapter 31A — SYSTEMS FOR WINDOW CLEANING OR EXTERIOR BUILDING…
  42. Chapter 31B — PUBLIC POOLS
  43. Chapter 31C — RADIATION
  44. Chapter 31D — FOOD ESTABLISHMENTS
  45. Chapter 31F — MARINE OIL TERMINALS
  46. Chapter 32 — ENCROACHMENTS INTO THE PUBLIC RIGHT-OF-WAY
  47. Chapter 33 — SAFEGUARDS DURING CONSTRUCTION
  48. Chapter 34 — RESERVED
  49. Chapter 35 — REFERENCED STANDARDS
  50. Appendix A — EMPLOYEE QUALIFICATIONS
  51. Appendix B — BOARD OF APPEALS
  52. Appendix C — GROUP U—AGRICULTURAL BUILDINGS
  53. Appendix D — FIRE DISTRICTS
  54. Appendix E — RESERVED
  55. Appendix F — RODENTPROOFING
  56. Appendix G — FLOOD-RESISTANT CONSTRUCTION
  57. Appendix H — SIGNS
  58. Appendix I — PATIO COVERS
  59. Appendix J — GRADING
  60. Appendix K — GROUP R-3 AND GROUP R-3.1 OCCUPANCIES PROTECTED B…
  61. Appendix L — EARTHQUAKE RECORDING INSTRUMENTATION
  62. Appendix M — TSUNAMI-GENERATED FLOOD HAZARDS
  63. Appendix N — REPLICABLE BUILDINGS
  64. Appendix O — PERFORMANCE-BASED APPLICATION
  65. Appendix P — SLEEPING LOFTS
  66. ▸ Appendix Q — EMERGENCY HOUSING
    Overview
    1. Section Q101 — GENERAL
    2. Section Q102 — DEFINITIONS
    3. Section Q103 — EMERGENCY HOUSING
    4. Section Q104 — EMERGENCY SLEEPING CABINS
    5. Section Q105 — EMERGENCY TRANSPORTABLE HOUSING UNITS
    6. Section Q106 — TENTS AND MEMBRANE STRUCTURES
    7. Section Q107 — ACCESSIBILITY
    8. Section Q108 — LOFTS IN EMERGENCY HOUSING
    9. Section Q109 — LOCATION, MAINTENANCE AND IDENTIFICATION
    10. Section Q110 — EMERGENCY HOUSING FACILITIES

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