San Francisco Administrative Code § 124.1 Definitions

For purposes of this Chapter 124, the following terms shall have the following meanings:

“Approve” or “approval” means an action by a City officer, department, or commission in which a final commitment is made by such sponsoring officer, department, or commission to fund the opening or operation of a new Covered Facility. Such Approval may include, but is not limited to, a decision to award a grant for the operation of a Covered Facility at a specific site, to purchase or acquire an interest in particular real estate to locate a Covered Facility. Approval shall not include a decision to undertake a preliminary study of one or more potential sites for a Covered Facility. Approval shall refer only to the actions of the sponsoring officer, department, board or commission. “Behavioral Health Residential Care and Treatment Facility” means a residential facility in which individuals receive treatment, medication, and/or counseling for a substance use disorder and/or mental health disorder. Behavioral Health Residential Care and Treatment Facilities include, but are not limited to, Behavioral Health Respite Facilities, crisis stabilization units, sobering centers, psychiatric respite facilities, and other low-barrier treatment facilities. For purposes of this Chapter 124, Behavioral Health Residential Care and Treatment Facilities do not include Adult Residential Facilities licensed under 22 C.C.R. Division 6, Chapter 6; Residential Care Facilities for the Elderly licensed under 22 C.C.R. Division 6, Chapter 8; Residential Substance Use Disorder Treatment Facilities licensed under 9 C.C.R. Division 4, Chapter 5; Residential Mental Health Treatment Facilities (also known as Social Rehabilitation Facilities) licensed under 22 C.C.R. Division 6, Chapter 2; Mental Health Rehabilitation Centers licensed under 9 C.C.R. Division 1, Chapter 3.5; and Psychiatric Health Facilities licensed under 22. C.C.R. Division 5, Chapter 9.

“City” means the City and County of San Francisco.

“City Project” has the meaning set forth in Administrative Code Section 79.2, as may be amended from time to time. “Covered Facility” means a City Project that is a Behavioral Residential Care and Treatment Facility, Transitional Housing Facility, or Homeless Shelter.

“DPH” means the Department of Public Health.

“Effective Date” means the effective date of the ordinance in Board File No. 250487, establishing this Chapter 124. “Homeless Shelter” shall have the meaning set forth in Planning Code Section 102, as amended from time to time. For purposes of this Chapter 124, a Homeless Shelter shall not include a facility that provides behavioral health

treatment and shelter to unsheltered individuals who are identified as having behavioral health care needs (“Behavioral Health Respite Facility”).

“HSH” means the Department of Homelessness and Supportive Housing.

“Neighborhood” shall be defined in accordance with the American Community Survey Neighborhood Profile Boundaries Map.

“Operative Date” shall mean the operative date of the ordinance in Board File No. 250487, establishing this Chapter 124.

“Point-in-Time Homeless Count” or “PIT Count” means the biennial count of sheltered and unsheltered people experiencing homelessness that San Francisco performs as a condition of receiving funding from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development.

“Transitional Housing Facility” means a facility that provides housing and supportive services to people experiencing homelessness or low-income households at risk of becoming homeless and that has as its purpose facilitating the movement of homeless individuals or at-risk low-income households to independent living within a reasonable amount of time.

(Added by Ord. 172-25, File No. 250487, App. 9/5/2025, Eff. 10/6/2025, Oper. 1/1/2026)