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Appendix Q — EMERGENCY HOUSING

Section Q103 — EMERGENCY HOUSING

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.

Q103.1 General.

Emergency sleeping cabins, emergency transportable housing units, membrane structures and tents constructed and/ or assembled in accordance with this appendix, shall be occupied only during declaration of state of emergency, local emergency or shelter crisis.

APPENDIX Q-2 2025 CALIFORNIA BUILDING CODE

on Jul 18, 2025 11:14 AM (CDT) THEREUNDER.

APPENDIX Q—EMERGENCY HOUSING

Buildings and structures constructed in accordance with the California Building Standards Code, used as emergency housing, shall be permitted to be permanently occupied.

Q103.2 Existing buildings.

Existing residential and nonresidential buildings or structures shall be permitted to be used as emergency housing and emergency housing facilities provided such buildings or structures comply with the building code provisions and/or other regulations in effect at the time of original construction and/or alteration. Existing buildings or structures used as emergency housing shall not become or continue to be substandard buildings, as determined by the enforcing agency.

Q103.2.1 New additions, alterations and change of occupancy. New additions, alterations and change of occupancy to existing buildings shall comply with the requirements of the California Building Standards Code effective at the time of addition, alteration or change of occupancy. The requirements shall apply only to and/or within the specific area of the addition, alteration or change of

occupancy.

Exception: Existing buildings and structures used for emergency housing and emergency housing facilities may not be required to comply with the California Energy Code, as determined by the enforcing agency.

Q103.3 Occupant load.

Except as otherwise stated in this appendix, the maximum occupant load allowed in buildings and structures used as emergency housing shall be determined by the enforcing agency, but the interior floor area shall not be less than 70 square feet (6.5 m [2] ) for one occupant. Where more than one person occupies the building/structure, the required floor area shall be increased at the rate of 50 square feet (4.65 m [2] ) for each occupant in excess of one.

Exceptions:

1. Tents.

2. Recreational vehicles and park trailers designed for human habitation that meet the requirements in the Health and Safety Code, Sections 18009.3 and 18010, as applicable. 3. For emergency housing, including emergency sleeping cabins, the minimum interior floor area may be reduced to 53 square feet (4.9 m [2] ) if the enforcing agency determines that 53 square feet (4.9 m [2] ) is adequate space for a single-occupancy sleep- ing unit.

Q103.4 Fire and life safety requirements not addressed in this appendix.

If not otherwise addressed in this appendix, fire and life safety measures, including, but not limited to, means of egress, fire separation, fire sprinklers, smoke alarms and carbon monoxide alarms, shall be determined and enforced by the enforcing agency.

Q103.5 Privacy.

Emergency housing shall be provided with a privacy lock on each entrance door and all windows for use by the occupants.

Q103.6 Heating.

All sleeping areas shall be provided with adequate heating as determined by the enforcing agency.

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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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