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Group homes and residential care in Santa Rosa

Santa Rosa's own rules on group homes and residential care, with the code text for every value.

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Each rule below links to the section of the Santa Rosa Municipal Code it was read from, with the code text one click away (checked October 2026). General information, not legal advice.

What Santa Rosa's code says

Santa Rosa code What Santa Rosa's code adds
Homes for 7 or more
  • A Minor Conditional Use Permit is required.
    Applies: Applies to large licensed residential care facilities.
    § 20-42.230 · code text
    The application for a Minor Conditional Use Permit for a Residential Care Facility (Licensed – Large) shall contain the following to clearly show conformance to standards:
Homes for 6 or fewer
  • Permitted by right in residential zoning districts as allowed by the zoning division.
    Applies: Applies to unlicensed Residential Care Facilities or small licensed ones.
    § 20-42.230 · code text
    For the purposes of this Zoning Code, these facilities are considered residential uses and are permitted by-right in residential zoning districts as allowed by Division 2.
Distance between homes
  • Facilities must be at least 300 feet from an existing one, measured between exterior walls.
    Applies: Applies to large licensed residential care facilities operating as community care facilities; the Review Authority may approve less.
    § 20-42.230 · code text
    No proposed Residential Care Facility (Licensed – Large) operating as a Community Care Facility shall be located 300 feet in all directions from an existing Residential Care Facility (Licensed – Large) operating as a Community Care Facility, as measured from any point on the exterior walls of both structures.
  • Exempt from the overconcentration spacing requirement.
    Applies: Applies to Assisted Living or RCFE, AOD facilities, foster family homes, and temporary or transitional shelter care facilities.
    § 20-42.230 · code text
    The following types of Residential Care Facilities (Licensed – Large) are exempt from the overconcentration spacing requirement:

Who this affects

HomeownersContractorsDesigners

Frequently asked questions

Where are group homes and residential care homes allowed in Santa Rosa?

Santa Rosa's code: A Minor Conditional Use Permit is required. (Applies to large licensed residential care facilities.) (§ 20-42.230); Permitted by right in residential zoning districts as allowed by the zoning division. (Applies to unlicensed Residential Care Facilities or small licensed ones.) (§ 20-42.230).

General information, not legal advice.

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Santa Rosa Municipal Code — full text