Service Name: PRESS RELEASE 10/14 - TOWN OF PARADISE - INTERIM HOUSING URGENCY ORDINANCE EXTENDED

Organization Name: PRESS RELEASES CAMP FIRE

• Description: Released on 10/14: Paradise, CA – At their October 13, 2020 meeting, the Paradise Town Council voted unanimously to extend the Housing Urgency Ordinance which allows Camp Fire survivors to live on their property in an RV with a Temporary Use Permit. The extension will be for six months, with the ability to extend for an additional six months on a case by case basis. Prior to this action, the Interim Housing Urgency Ordinance was set to expire on December 31, 2020. Paradise Town Council initially approved the Interim Housing Urgency Ordinance after the Camp Fire to ease the housing crisis in the aftermath of the disaster by allowing Camp Fire survivors to live on their property in a temporary living situation, such as an RV, by meeting the conditions required in the Temporary Use Permit. The Urgency Ordinance was set to expire two years after it was adopted, returning the Town to the pre-fire zoning law which required an active Building Permit to live on property in an RV. Over the last year, Town Council directed staff to reach out to residents living in RVs to learn more about the barriers they face in obtaining permanent housing. Through that outreach, Town staff learned the major obstacles are financial and needing more time. With this information, staff recommended to Council to extend the ordinance to June 30, 2021, and then allow a six-month extension to Dec. 31, 2021 on a case by case basis for residents who meet certain alternative thresholds such as: - Having submitted a building permit application - Having signed a contract with a builder - Having signed a contract for a manufactured home - Working with a Town housing specialist or state agency on a housing program - Having signed a contract with a plans designer. This extension addresses the identified barriers by allowing residents time to receive potential PG&E individual settlements which are expected in late 2020 or early 2021, to apply for the Town-administered owner-occupied housing program, to apply for rebuild grants available through organizations like the Rebuild Paradise Foundation, and to apply for CDBG-DR funds for rebuilding which are expected to be available in early to mid-2021. The additional time will help with the COVID-related delays which have been experienced by many residents, and will give more time for hazardous trees to be removed. By the end of 2021, the Town also expects 150 multi-family housing units currently under construction to be available, providing an alternative housing solution for those who are ultimately unable to rebuild. “All of us on this Council want our residents back home. We all care deeply about this Town, and want it to recover. This extension allows our residents who are trying to rebuild to do that, and we want to give them the time they need. With this decision we are still sensitive to the concerns of those with existing and new homes, and we as a Council are committed to improving our Code Enforcement process to make Paradise the home we want it to be,” said Paradise Mayor Greg Bolin. Ordinance Timeline: Today – June 30th, 2021 Residents who were displaced by the Camp Fire can secure a Temporary Use Permit to live in an RV on their own property or on a property with permission of the owner until June 30, 2021 without evidence of a rebuild permit. These residents must still comply with health and safety requirements regarding connections to utilities (water, power, septic) and garbage service. July 1, 2021 – Dec. 31, 2021 Residents who were displaced by the Camp Fire can stay in an RV on their property or on a property with permission of the owner until Dec. 31, 2021 if one of the following conditions is met: - Have a residential rebuild permit issued or applied for. - Contracted with a Designer/Contractor/Manufactured Home Dealer - Working with the Town/State regarding a Housing Program After Jan. 1, 2022 Any resident must have an active building permit issued
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