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Appendix AZ — EMERGENCY HOUSING

Section AZ103

California Residential Code (Title 24, Part 2.5) · 2022 edition · updated 2026-09-12 · California

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

AZ103.1 General.

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

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

AZ103.2 Existing buildings.

Existing residential and nonres- idential buildings or structures shall be permitted to be used as emergency housing and emergency housing facilities pro- vided 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.

AZ103.2.1 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.

AZ103.3 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 sleep- ing 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 ade- quate space for a single-occupancy sleeping unit.

AZ103.4 Fire and life safety requirements not addressed in this appendix.

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.

AZ103.5 Privacy.

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

AZ103.6 Heating.

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

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▸Contents — California Residential Code (Title 24, Part 2.5)
California Residential Code (Title 24, Part 2.5)
  1. Chapter 2 — DEFINITIONS AND ABBREVIATIONS
  2. Appendix AF — RADON CONTROL
  3. Appendix AI — PRIVATE SEWAGE
  4. Appendix AJ — EXISTING
  5. Appendix AK — SOUND
  6. Appendix AO — AUTOMATIC
  7. Appendix AR — LIGHT STRAW-CLAY
  8. Appendix AS — STRAWBALE
  9. Appendix AU — COB CONSTRUCTION
  10. Appendix AV — BOARD
  11. Appendix AW — 3D-PRINTED BUILDING
  12. Chapter 1 — SCOPE AND APPLICATION
  13. Chapter 3 — BUILDING PLANNING
  14. Chapter 4 — FOUNDATIONS
  15. Chapter 5 — FLOORS
  16. Chapter 6 — WALL CONSTRUCTION
  17. Chapter 7 — WALL COVERING
  18. Chapter 8 — ROOF-CEILING CONSTRUCTION
  19. Chapter 9 — ROOF ASSEMBLIES
  20. Chapter 10 — CHIMNEYS AND FIREPLACES
  21. Chapter 44 — REFERENCED STANDARDS
  22. Appendix AH — PATIO COVERS
  23. Appendix AL — PERMIT FEES
  24. Appendix AQ — TINY HOUSES
  25. Appendix AT — SOLAR-READY PROVISIONS—DETACHED ONE- AND
  26. Appendix AX — SWIMMING POOL SAFETY ACT
  27. Appendix AY — AREAS PROTECTED BY THE FACILITIES
  28. ▸Appendix AZ — EMERGENCY HOUSING
    Overview
    1. Section AZ101
    2. Section AZ102
    3. Section AZ103
    4. Section AZ104
    5. Section AZ105
    6. Section AZ106
    7. Section AZ107
    8. Section AZ108
    9. Section AZ109
    10. Section AZ110

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