Support CF 25-1484 (Park): Regulation of Sober Living Density in Los Angeles
Passed by
- Del Rey Neighborhood Council
Motion
Refers to City Council file 25-1484
____ NC/CC, a member of the Westside Regional Alliance of Councils (WRAC), supports CF 25-1484 which seeks to regulate sober living density in Los Angeles.
Currently homeowners and residents in the Del Rey neighborhood of CD 11 and beyond are experiencing the effects of a documented pattern of owners/developers over-developing properties intendedas “senior living” and then filing a change of use and converting them to un-regulated sober living homes with between 22 and 48 residents. Repeated requests by the community to abide by “good neighbor norms” have gone unaddressed.
Prior communities in CD 11, CD 5 and other areas citywide have also experienced issues with sober living over-concentration in residential neighborhoods and have supported previous efforts to regulate sober living density in Los Angeles.
Research and findings from prior communities who have experienced these conditions demonstrate that the best way to resolve many of the problems now stemming from these largely unregulated sober living facilities is by establishing minimum spacing requirements between facilities and to create thresholds based on facility size, modeled on the Costa Mesa ordinance upheld by the courts. The motion in CF 25-1484 seeks to allow the City to preserve the benefits of recovery housing while avoiding the drawbacks of excessive clustering.
Background
See Background Information for the motion.
Some members have asked whether a cap on the number of persons living in large sober living facilities (seven or over residents), such as those occurring in Del Rey and other neighborhoods on the Westside, is requested in the Park motion or could be requested. It is not and cannot. Federal and state law prevent cities from setting an arbitrary cap on the number of residents in sober living facilities, unrelated to objective safety standards. See Additional Information re operational permits / LAFD review for safety (required in Los Angeles and permissible under relevant law), which may address safety issues related to numbers of persons residing in larger sober living facilities based on objective standards. (Note: Licensed homes housing six or under residents are treated functionally as single-family units under federal and state law; thus these smaller homes are not subject to density limits or other city regulation as sober living facilities.)
Contact Ravi Sankaran or Chris Spitz with any questions.