Chapter 17.67
PERMANENT SUPPORTIVE HOUSING
Sections:
17.67.030 Permanent supportive housing facility requirements.
17.67.040 Application for permanent supportive housing facility permit.
17.67.010 Purpose.
The purpose of this chapter is to create a process by which a permanent supportive housing (PSH) facility targeted at individuals experiencing extreme poverty and complex service needs can be sited in a way to provide quality, affordable housing with comprehensive, intensive services delivered in such a way to addresses the root causes of long-term homelessness including, but not limited to, addiction, mental illness, chronic disease and disabilities to those who would benefit from these services. (Ord. 3712 § 3, 2017).
17.67.020 Definitions.
The following words used in this chapter are defined as follows:
A. “Area median income” (AMI) means an income estimate developed with U.S. Census data and an inflation factor based on the Congressional Budget Office (CBO) forecast of the national Consumer Price Index (CPI). The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) calculates and releases this data on a yearly basis.
B. “Arterial road” means a roadway identified as a principal arterial within the city’s adopted transportation element of its comprehensive plan.
C. “Food resource” means a retail store open to the general public located within a building that is a minimum of 12,000 gross square feet in size whose primary use is for food sales. This definition does not include mini marts, restaurants, or convenience stores.
D. “Infrastructure improvements” means the installation/construction of sanitary sewers, storm sewers, detention and/or water quality facilities, and public or private roads.
E. “Permanent supportive housing facility” (PSH facility) means a structure that is providing shelter with no limit on length of stay and is intended to provide long-term, rather than transitional, housing. These facilities are designed to be occupied by any one, or a combination of, the following:
1. Persons that are experiencing, or at risk of experiencing, homelessness that would benefit from structured supportive services such as case management and on-site facility management to be successful living in the facility; or
2. Persons that are experiencing a disability that presents barriers to employment and housing stability; or
3. Persons that are defined as extremely low (incomes do not exceed 30 percent AMI) or very low income (incomes are between 31 percent to 50 percent AMI).
F. “Service provider” means the department of social and health services, the employment security department, Catholic community services, and community action of Skagit County. (Ord. 3712 § 3, 2017).
17.67.030 Permanent supportive housing facility requirements.
In addition to other requirements imposed by this chapter, a PSH facility must meet all of the following requirements:
A. This chapter applies to areas of the city described within subsection (A)(1) of this section and constitutes an overlay zone over the following described areas only so long as all of the requirements of this chapter are satisfied:
1. The overlay zone shall exist only when property is located within 2,640 linear feet (one-half mile) of three out of the four following described facilities. Each of the listed facilities must be entirely within the prescribed 2,640 linear feet to count as one of the three required facilities.
a. Transit service provided by Skagit Transit.
b. Arterial road.
c. Food resource.
d. Service provider.
2. The 2,640-linear-foot measurement shall be taken in a straight line from the closest property line where the permanent supported housing facility is proposed to the above-listed transit service (provided by SKAT), arterial road(s), food resource(s), and service provider(s).
B. A PSH facility shall contain no more than 80 dwelling units. There shall be no density requirements for a PSH facility; instead the setbacks, maximum building stories and height, parking, landscaping, and multifamily design guidelines outlined within this chapter shall apply.
C. An on-site manager and area(s) to provide on-site services are encouraged. If on-site services are provided they shall be for residents only.
D. The PSH facility shall be permitted only on property where the city has made a financial commitment to participate at some level in the purchase of said property; or for which the city has made a commitment to assist with funding of infrastructure improvements to serve the property.
E. A PSH facility shall remain affordable to those earning 50 percent or less of the AMI for a minimum of 50 years following the facility obtaining its final certificate of occupancy. The applicant will need to submit a plan to the city outlining how this will be achieved.
F. A PSH facility will be required to comply with the following dimensional requirements:
1. Front yard setback: 25 feet on arterial streets and 20 feet on all other streets. Buildings on corner lots shall observe the minimum setback on both streets.
2. Side yard setback: 10 feet on each side. No portion of a second-story wall shall be closer than 15 feet to the side yard line. No portion of a third or fourth-story wall shall be closer than 20 feet to the side yard line.
3. Rear yard setback: 20 feet.
4. Maximum building height shall be four stories, but not more than 50 feet.
G. The number of parking spaces required to serve a PSH facility shall reflect the proposed uses for such a facility. The applicant will be required to submit a parking study documenting the number of parking spaces needed to provide parking on a site.
H. The design, construction, appearance, physical integrity, and maintenance of the housing units shall provide an environment that is attractive, sustainable, functional, appropriate for the surrounding community, and conducive to tenants’ stability. To achieve this, the following standards from the city’s design standards and guidelines for multifamily developments shall apply to all new construction:
1. Roof pitch (minimum/maximum);
2. Building design;
3. Windows; and
4. Modulation of exterior walls.
I. A minimum of 15 percent of the gross site area (as defined within Chapter 17.93 MVMC) shall be landscaped; with a portion of this landscaping being comprised of 10-foot-wide landscape areas planted per the requirements in MVMC 17.93.020(D) installed along street frontages of the project site. In addition, any portion of the project site that abuts property zoned R-1, R-2, R-3, R-O, or MHP shall have Type I landscape screening that complies with MVMC 17.93.040(A) installed. (Ord. 3712 § 3, 2017).
17.67.040 Application for permanent supportive housing facility permit.
A. An application for a permanent supportive housing facility shall be submitted to the development services department on forms provided by the department. The application shall contain, at a minimum, all of the following information:
1. A completed master land use form.
2. A site plan consistent with the requirements contained in MVMC 14.05.220.
3. A project narrative consistent with the requirements contained in MVMC 14.05.220 that also includes specific details with regard to the following:
a. The roles and commitments of the social service provider(s), property manager(s) and/or owner(s), and tenants.
b. The funding mechanisms for: site acquisition, construction of the facility, physical maintenance of the facility, and funding of social services.
4. The application for a permanent supportive housing facility permit must be accompanied by an application fee of $1,000.
B. A PSH facility shall be processed as a Type I permit. (Ord. 3712 § 3, 2017).