Camarillo Municipal Code Ch. 19.51 Low Barrier Navigation Center

The purpose of this chapter is to regulate the development of low barrier navigation centers within the city to the extent permitted by state law. The city recognizes the importance of low barrier navigation centers to address the homelessness crisis in the state. The state legislature has declared low barrier navigation centers are essential tools to alleviating the homelessness crisis in the state.

(Ord. No. 2008, § 4(Exh. A), 4-12-2023)

For purposes of this chapter, the following definitions apply:

"Coordinated entry system" means a centralized or coordinated assessment system developed pursuant to Section 576.400(d) or Section 578.7(a)(8), as applicable, of Title 24 of the Code of Federal Regulations, as those sections read on January 1, 2020, as referenced below, and any related requirements, designed to coordinate program participant intake, assessment, and referrals, as follows:

A. Centralized or coordinated assessment. Once the continuum of care has developed a centralized assessment system or a coordinated assessment system in accordance with requirements to be established by HUD, each emergency solutions grant (ESG)-funded program or project within the continuum of care's area must use that assessment system. The recipient and subrecipient must work with the continuum of care to ensure the screening, assessment and referral of program participants are consistent with the written standards below. A victim service provider may choose not to use the continuum of care's centralized or coordinated assessment system.

1. Written standards for providing ESG assistance.

(a) If the recipient is a metropolitan city, urban county, or territory, the recipient must have written standards for providing Emergency Solutions Grant (ESG) assistance and must consistently apply those standards for all program participants. The recipient must describe these standards in its consolidated plan.

(b) If the recipient is a state:

(1) The recipient must establish and consistently apply, or require that its subrecipients establish and consistently apply, written standards for providing ESG assistance. If the written standards are established by the subrecipients, the recipient may require these written standards to be:

(i) Established for each area covered by a continuum of care or area over which the services are coordinated and followed by each subrecipient providing assistance in that area; or

(ii) Established by each subrecipient and applied consistently within the subrecipient's program.

(2) Written standards developed by the state must be included in the state's consolidated plan. If the written standards are developed by its subrecipients, the recipient must describe its requirements for the establishment and implementation of these standards in the state's consolidated plan.

(c) At a minimum these written standards must include:

(1) Standard policies and procedures for evaluating individuals' and families' eligibility for assistance under Emergency Solutions Grant (ESG);

(2) Standards for targeting and providing essential services related to street outreach;

(3) Policies and procedures for admission, diversion, referral, and discharge by emergency shelters assisted under ESG, including standards regarding length of stay, if any, and safeguards to meet the safety and shelter needs of special populations, e.g., victims of domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, and stalking; and individuals and families who have the highest barriers to housing and are likely to be homeless the longest;

(4) Policies and procedures for assessing, prioritizing, and reassessing individuals' and families' needs for essential services related to emergency shelter;

(5) Policies and procedures for coordination among emergency shelter providers, essential services providers, homelessness prevention, and rapid re-housing assistance providers; other homeless assistance providers; and mainstream service and housing providers;

(6) Policies and procedures for determining and prioritizing which eligible families and individuals will receive homelessness prevention assistance and which eligible families and individuals will receive rapid re-housing assistance (these policies must include the emergency transfer priority required under 24 C.F.R.§ 576.409);

(7) Standards for determining what percentage or amount of rent and utilities costs each program participant must pay while receiving homelessness prevention or rapid re-housing assistance;

(8) Standards for determining how long a particular program participant will be provided with rental assistance and whether and how the amount of that assistance will be adjusted over time; and

(9) Standards for determining the type, amount, and duration of housing stabilization and/or relocation services to provide to a program participant, including the limits, if any, on the homelessness prevention or rapid re-housing assistance that each program participant may receive, such as the maximum amount of assistance, maximum number of months the program participant receive assistance; or the maximum number of times the program participant may receive assistance.

B. In consultation with recipients of Emergency Solutions Grants program funds within the geographic area, establish and operate either a centralized or coordinated assessment system that provides an initial, comprehensive assessment of the needs of individuals and families for housing and services. The continuum must develop a specific policy to guide the operation of the centralized or coordinated assessment system on how its system will address the needs of individuals and families who are fleeing, or attempting to flee, domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, or stalking, but who are seeking shelter or services from nonvictim service providers. This system must comply with any requirements established by HUD by notice.

"Homeless management information system" (HMIS) has the same definition as Section 578.3 of Title 24 of the Code of Federal Regulations, as may be amended from time to time, and means the information system designated by the Continuum of Care to comply with the HMIS requirements prescribed by the U.S. Department of Affordable Housing and Urban Development (HUD).

"Use by right" has the same definition as Government Code § 65583.2, as may be amended from time to time, and means that no discretionary review or approval, including a conditional use permit or a planned development, that would constitute a "project" for purposes of Public Resources Code Division 13 (commencing with Section 21000) is required. Notwithstanding, any subdivision of the site is subject to all laws, including, without limitation, the Subdivision Map Act.

(Ord. No. 2008, § 4(Exh. A), 4-12-2023)

Subject to ministerial review with a zone clearance and the standards in this chapter, low barrier navigation centers are a use by right in the following zones:

A. Camarillo Commons Mixed-Use (CCM)

B. Village Commercial Mixed-Use (CMU)

C. Camarillo Old Town (COT)

D. Service Commercial (SC)

E. Residential Planned Development (RPD)

(Ord. No. 2008, § 4(Exh. A), 4-12-2023)

Applicants seeking to establish a low barrier navigation centers must furnish the city with sufficient documentation demonstrating compliance with all the following:

A. The low barrier navigation center offers services to connect people to permanent housing through a services plan that identifies services staffing.

B. The low barrier navigation center is linked to a coordinated entry system, so that staff in the interim facility or staff who colocate in the facility may conduct assessments and provide services to connect people to permanent housing.

C. The low barrier navigation center must comply with Chapter 6.5 (commencing with Section 8255) of Division 8 of the Welfare and Institutions Code, concerning the administration of state programs.

D. The low barrier navigation center has a system for entering information regarding client stays, client demographics, client income, and exit destination through the local Homeless Management Information System.

(Ord. No. 2008, § 4(Exh. A), 4-12-2023)

A. Within thirty days of receipt of an application for a low barrier navigation center, the local the city will notify a developer whether the developer's application is complete, pursuant to Government Code § 65943.

B. Within sixty days of receipt of a completed application for a low barrier navigation center development, the city will act upon its review of the application.

(Ord. No. 2008, § 4(Exh. A), 4-12-2023)