Santa Cruz To Allow Tiny Houses On Wheels As Primary Home

Santa Cruz County Leaps Over Other Jurisdictions to Lead The State In Innovative Housing

Santa Cruz is the Second County in California to Legalize Tiny Homes on Wheels as Primary Homes

Santa Cruz County, CA, November 2022 – Santa Cruz County Supervisors led by First District Supervisor, Manu Koenig, unanimously passed SCCC 13.10.680 to legalize tiny homes on wheels as single-family dwellings to provide a lower cost housing option in the County, which is particularly needed by those who lost their homes in the CZU lightning fire in 2020. Making good on his campaign promise, Supervisor Koenig along with Supervisor McPherson shepherded the new ordinance through the arduous process of the many commissions, public hearings, staff research and reporting required to make a change in the County’s definition of housing. By defining a tiny house on wheels as a habitable independent dwelling,

People may now move a tiny house on wheels onto a residential property, and then live in it. This will save years off the usual process of building a house, obtaining many building permits, inspections, and costly utility hookup requirements. The new permits will be available via a “ministerial” process. This means that the county staff must grant a permit if the requirements are met. There is no opportunity for planning staff to delay or deny a permit application based on their opinions, which has been a major point of contention for other home builders.

Numerous jurisdictions in California had already legalized THOWs – The city of Los Angeles, city of San Diego, city of San Jose, city of Oakland and county of Santa Clara being the largest. Smaller areas including San Luis Obispo, Humboldt, Fresno, and even Ojai, beat Santa Cruz by legalizing THOWs to be used as accessory dwelling units, also known as granny flats. However, Santa Cruz County is the first municipality in the state to legalize THOWs as both accessory units and as primary homes. In Santa Cruz County a property may have a THOW as it’s first and only dwelling. It isn’t necessary for a stick-built single-family dwelling to already be on the lot. Oakland is leading in the process to permit tiny home villages.

THOWs could be a game changer for creating housing in the places such as Santa Cruz, described as the worst housing markets in the country year after year.

Ordinance No. 5413

ORDINANCE OF THE BOARD OF SUPERVISORS OF THE COUNTY OF
SANTA CRUZ AMENDING SANTA CRUZ COUNTY CODE CHAPTER 13.10 TO
ADD PROVISIONS REGARDING TINY HOMES ON WHEELS

Update

The THOW ordinance was adopted at a second reading on December 6th, and it can take up to 10 business days for a completed signed ordinance to be posted to the Board of Supervisors website. (Please also note that the ordinance will not be in effect until 31 days after adoption.)

Natisha Williams (she/her)

Planner IV

Community Development & Infrastructure

Real Estate Attorney Jenifer Levini Summary

 

Unanimously passed 1st- in-the-state ordinance that legalizes Tiny Homes on Wheels (THOWs) as primary and accessory dwellings. This means that a THOW can be the main dwelling on the property, a granny unit behind a primary home, or both.

Personal and Legislative History

Local attorney and author, Jenifer Levini, Esq., who writes books about tiny homes laws and safety introduced the idea of using tiny homes as part of the solution for the housing shortage to Manu Koenig when he was first running for office. Koenig was a quick study and tiny homes became one of his top campaign promises. After winning the election, Koenig instructed Planning Department staff to research the possibility of legalizing THOWs. The county’s supervisors unanimously approved the first resolution which set the process in motion to write a concept Ordinance. The beta version included rules for THOWs and the codes for all accessory dwelling units (ADUs). It went through many public hearings and then the staff decided to bifurcate and focus first on ADUs not including THOWs. The THOW ordinance was placed on the back burner. Finally, a year later, they returned to the process and held all new public hearings much to the relief of Levini and several thousand people who have been hopefully waiting for housing relief. These hearings allowed the staff to modify the tentative ordinance. Levini kept thousands of local tiny home enthusiasts and supporters across the country aware of each step and they flooded the meetings with support. Commissioners at the Housing Advisory Commission and the Planning Commission debated the merits and alternatives to each section of the ordinance, making numerous revisions. Levini remained engaged answering questions for commissioners and County Planning staff, explaining the merits of the ordinances in other jurisdictions and pointing them to state laws would be supreme over the local ordinance. The final hearing for the ordinance at the Board of Supervisors was November 15, 2022. It passed unanimously. 

Related Placer And Nevada CTY Allow Tiny Houses

Moveable tiny homes will be allowed on appropriately zoned parcels in unincorporated areas countywide, including the Lake Tahoe Basin, but will have the same water, sewer and electrical connections requirements as other permanent structures. Their trailer chassis and wheels also need to be concealed behind skirting.

The changes take effect July 14.

Learn More

Tiny House Alliance USA Editor

Dec. 3rd, 2022

The Future Of Tiny Is Now!
Janet Thome Founder And President
janet@tinyhouseallianceusa.org
509 345 2013

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