Norco Municipal Code Ch. 18.59 Boarding Houses and Group Homes

This Chapter 18.59, as part of the city's overall zoning regulations and in the exercise of its police powers to protect the public health, safety, and welfare, seeks to preserve compatibility with surrounding land uses and protect the public health, safety, and welfare by establishing objective standards to address potential land use impacts, including but not limited to parking demand, traffic circulation, refuse collection, noise, and site management. In adopting this Chapter 18.59, the city is mindful that the federal Fair Housing Act (42 U.S.C. § 3601 et seq.), the California Community Care Facilities Act (Health and Safety Code § 1500 et seq.), the California Fair Housing and Employment Act (Government Code § 12900 et seq.), and Civil Code § 54, together with published judicial decisions interpreting those laws, provide individuals with a disability the right to an equal opportunity to use and enjoy housing, and that the city may need to provide reasonable accommodation in the city's zoning ordinances and policies where necessary to afford disabled persons such equal opportunity. This Chapter 18.59 establishes regulations to avoid clustering and overconcentration of such uses subject to the city's reasonable accommodation provisions in Chapter 9.95. Finally, this Chapter 18.59 serves to protect all residents from the negative impacts of multiple parolees housed in individual dwellings.

(Ord. 1139, 3/18/2026)

The provisions of this chapter shall apply to all boarding houses, parolee-probationer homes and group homes, and to all persons who own, manage, or operate them. This chapter does not apply to small state-licensed residential care facilities or transitional or supportive housing.

(Ord. 1139, 3/18/2026)

(a) Boarding houses are permitted with a conditional use permit in the Housing Development Overlay (HDO), Low Density Multiple-Family Residential (R-3), and Gateway Specific Plan-Residential zones.

(b) Large group homes are permitted with a conditional use permit in the HDO, R-3 and Gateway Specific Plan-Residential zones.

(c) Small group homes are permitted with a small group home permit in all residential zones.

(d) Parolee-probationer homes are prohibited in or adjacent to the Agricultural Estate (AE), Agricultural Low Density (A-1), Agricultural (A-2), and all residential zones, including any Specific Plan residential or agricultural zone. Subject to a conditional use permit, parolee-probationer homes are permitted in the C-G (Commercial General) and C-O (Commercial Office) zones.

(e) Large state-licensed residential care facilities are permitted with a conditional use permit in the HDO, R-3 and Gateway Specific Plan-Residential zones.

(Ord. 1139, 3/18/2026)

Any individual with a disability, or their representative, or a developer or provider of housing for individuals with a disability may seek a reasonable accommodation from the provisions of this chapter under Chapter 9.95 of this code.

(Ord. 1139, 3/18/2026)

(a) Any person or entity seeking to establish a small group home as allowed by Section 18.59.06(c) shall first apply to the planning director, or designee for a small group home permit. The application for a small group home permit shall include the following information:

(1) A description of the proposed operational model, including the maximum number of occupants, term of stay, staffing (if any), and a description of any on-site services proposed;

(2) The maximum number of occupants and the facility's hours of operation;

(3) The term of client stay;

(4) The support services to be provided on-site and projected staffing levels;

(5) The names of all persons and entities with an ownership or leasehold interest in the property, or who will be an operator of the small group home;

(6) The group home ownership, permit and license history of the applicant and all persons and entities with an ownership or leasehold interest in the property, or who will be an operator of the small group home, including the name and addresses of similar group homes in the State of California owned or operated within the past five years;

(7) A certification under penalty of perjury that none of the identified group homes have been found by state or local authorities to be operating in violation of state or local law; and

(8) A copy of the proposed house rules required by Section 18.59.16(j)(1).

(9) Information demonstrating that the premises are in compliance with, or will prior to occupancy be brought into compliance with, the standards set forth in Section 18.59.16 of this chapter.

(10) The inspection and report of the fire marshal and building official showing that the premises to be used are suitable under applicable uniform building and related codes to safely house the number of persons identified for residency in the small group home. The building official shall determine the applicable use and occupancy classification for the premises for the purposes of the application of the uniform building and related codes.

(11) The use or home shall provide certification, if available, from a governmental agency or qualified nonprofit organization and such certification is a generally accepted practice or standard among the owners, operators, profession, or industry related to the use or home.

(b) The planning director or designee shall grant the permit within 30 days after determining that the application for a small group home permit is complete. The director shall not deny an application for a small group home permit unless the director determines that the application is incomplete or, after reasonable investigation, the director determines that:

(1) The applicant has provided information that is materially false, misleading or inaccurate or has made material misstatements on the application; or

(2) The applicant, or any persons and entities with an ownership or leasehold interest in the property, or who will be an operator of the small group home have a pattern or practice of operating similar uses or group homes in or out of the city in violation of state or local law.

(Ord. 1139, 3/18/2026)

An application for a conditional use permit shall be filed and processed with the city as provided in Chapter 18.45 of this code. In addition to the application requirements in Section 18.45.06, the application shall also include the application requirements contained in Sections 18.59.10(a)(1) through (11).

(Ord. 1139, 3/18/2026)

In addition to the findings applicable to conditional use permits under Section 18.45.14, the decision-making body shall make the following supplemental findings before approving or conditionally approving a conditional use permit for a boarding house, group home, parolee-probationer home, or large state-licensed residential care facility required to obtain a conditional use permit under this chapter:

(a) The boarding house, group home, large state-licensed residential care facility or parolee-probationer home includes sufficient on-site parking, and traffic and transportation impacts have been mitigated to a level of insignificance.

(b) The boarding house, group home, large state-licensed residential care facility or parolee-probationer home conforms to all applicable development standards.

(c) The property upon and structure(s) within which a boarding house, group home, large state-licensed residential care facility or parolee-probationer home will be located is physically suited to accommodate the use.

(d) The boarding house, group home, large state-licensed residential care facility or parolee-probationer home will be compatible with the character of the surrounding neighborhood, and the addition or continued maintenance of the use will not contribute to changing the residential character of the neighborhood, such as creating an overconcentration of boarding houses, group homes, large state-licensed residential care facilities or parolee-probationer homes in the vicinity of the proposed use. This finding shall be based on objective evidence in the record, including compliance with the standards set forth in Section 18.59.16. In making this finding or sustaining this finding, the decision-making body shall consider as appropriate the following factors:

(1) The proximity of the boarding house, group home, large state-licensed residential care facility or parolee-probationer home to schools, parks, other similar and related uses, including small state-licensed residential care facilities, places where alcoholic beverages are sold or distributed to the public and any other uses which could be affected by, or affect the operation of, the use or the health, safety and welfare of the residents.

(2) The existence of substandard physical characteristics of the area in which the boarding house, group home, large state-licensed residential care facility or parolee-probationer home is to be located such as lot widths, setbacks, narrow streets, limited available parking, nonconforming housing types, physical or economic conditions of blight, and other substandard characteristics.

(3) Whether, in light of the factors applied in subsections (d)(1) and (d)(2) of this section, it would be appropriate to apply the American Planning Association standard of permitting one boarding house, group home, large state-licensed residential care facility or parolee-probationer home per block. For purposes of this paragraph, "block" means an area of land that is bounded on all sides by streets or by streets and a cul-de-sac or by any other form of termination of the street (i.e., dead-end not a cul-de-sac). In applying this factor, the decision-making body shall take into consideration circumstances where, because of unusually long block or short block, application of the separation standard in Section 18.59.16(i) would result in less than one use per block or more than two uses per block.

(e) The operation of buses, vans, and other similar passenger carrying vehicles, to transport residents to and from off-site activities does not generate vehicular traffic substantially greater than that normally generated by residential activities in the surrounding areas.

(f) Arrangement for the delivery of goods are made within the hours that are compatible with and will not adversely affect the peace and quiet of neighboring properties.

(g) Arrangement for commercial trash collection in excess of usual residential collection are made within hours that are compatible with and will not adversely affect the peace and quiet of neighboring properties.

(h) That none of the homes identified by the applicant in its application have been found by state or local authorities to be operating in substantial or persistent violation of state or local law.

(i) That none of the persons who will have an ownership or leasehold interest in, or will be operators of, a boarding house or parolee-probationer home, have been convicted of a felony or any crime involving moral turpitude.

(Ord. 1139, 3/18/2026)

The following standards shall apply to boarding houses, group homes, large state-licensed residential care facilities and parolee-probationer homes requiring a conditional use permit or a small group home permit. Violation of any of these standards shall constitute grounds for revoking the permit:

(a) The property shall be used, maintained, occupied, and/or operated in conformity with an operation and management plan approved by the director and filed with the city. The plan shall ensure compliance with applicable state and local laws, ordinances, and regulations.

(b) The property shall be used, maintained, occupied and/or operated in such a manner as to not permit public nuisances, illegal parking, and violations of state and federal laws regarding disturbance of the peace, illegal drug activity, public drunkenness, public consumption of alcohol, harassment of passers-by, gambling, solicitation, public urination, theft, assault, battery, vandalism, littering, loitering, solicitation, and lewd conduct.

(c) The use shall not have any substantial adverse impacts on adjoining properties or land uses and shall be compatible with the character of the surrounding neighborhood.

(d) The property shall comply with all setback, landscaping and other development standards of the underlying zone.

(e) Both indoor and outdoor common areas shall be provided on site.

(f) No care, treatment or other services shall be provided on the property that would require licensure by the State of California.

(g) There shall be no more than two residents per bedroom (except that three minor children may share a single bedroom) unless the decision-making body approved a higher occupancy limit in issuing the permit. The decision-making body shall not approve a higher occupancy limit unless it finds, based on substantial evidence in the record, that such limit is appropriate given the characteristics of the dwelling, the availability of parking, and the measures taken to adequately protect the public health, safety, peace, comfort, and welfare (including, but not limited to, the reasonable sanitary needs of residents).

(h) The use shall maintain certification, if available, from a governmental agency or qualified nonprofit organization and such certification is a generally accepted practice or standard among the owners, operators, profession, or industry related to the use or home.

(i) Group homes and large state-licensed residential care facilities shall not be located within 600 feet, measured from the property lines, of any other group home, state-licensed residential care facility, or parolee-probationer home. All other types of boarding houses, including, but not limited to, parolee-probationer homes, shall not be located within 1,000 feet, measured from the property lines, of any other boarding house, group home, state-licensed residential care facility, or parolee-probationer home. Parolee-probationer homes shall not be located within 1,000 feet, measured from the property lines, of any child day care center, public or private elementary or secondary school, park, public library, public swimming pool, a commercial establishment with an on-site children's playground, or any place where classes or group activities for children are regularly held.

(j) All group homes and large state-licensed residential care facilities shall:

(1) Maintain and enforce house rules to ensure compliance with applicable permit conditions and prevent nuisances, including but not limited to provisions regarding parking, noise, refuse disposal, and visitor conduct; and

(2) Provide for an onsite house manager who shall be responsible for, at a minimum, enforcement of the house rules and supervision of occupant schedules.

(Ord. 1139, 3/18/2026)

Any boarding house, large state-licensed residential care facility or group home, other than a parolee-probationer home, operating as of the effective date of this chapter is not required to obtain a permit under this chapter, provided that all permits that were required at the time the use was established were obtained and such facility was in compliance with the applicable standards set forth in Title 15 (Buildings and Construction), and Title 18 (Zoning), of this code, at the time the permit was obtained.

(Ord. 1139, 3/18/2026)

(a) A permit issued pursuant to this chapter may be revoked pursuant to the procedures in Section 18.45.26 of this code.

(b) A permittee may request a modification to a small group home permit or conditional use permit issued under this chapter pursuant to the procedures in Section 18.45.20 of this code.

(Ord. 1139, 3/18/2026)

Any city official or authorized representative charged with enforcement responsibilities under this code, state law or other government authority may enter and inspect the premises or perform any duty imposed by the municipal code or by state law, provided the owner, managers, operators, or lawful occupant(s) has consented to the inspection. The refusal by an owner, manager, operator, or occupant to permit such entry and inspection may be considered in any proceeding to suspend or revoke the permit.

(Ord. 1139, 3/18/2026)