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Group Homes and Community Residences
The City of Phoenix has updated zoning regulations related to group homes. This includes homes licensed for assisted living, behavioral health, sober living, and intermediate care facilities for individuals with intellectual disabilities; as well as unlicensed homes, such as general group homes and boarding houses.
Changes include the following:
- Updated terminology and regulations for treating all homes for individuals with disabilities the same. Homes with up to 10 residents with disabilities are community residence homes and facilities with more than 10 residents are community residence centers.
- Strengthened regulations for group homes, boarding houses, and larger community residences with more than 10 residents. Use permits are required in the multifamily zoning districts, as well as ¼ mile spacing.
- Strengthened criteria for disability accommodation reviews to discourage clustering of group homes, boarding houses, and community residences. The city will not administratively approve a group home, boarding house, or community residence (through a staff review process) if there is another such home on the same block, on the block across the street, behind, or behind and cattycorner from the proposed home.
- Added parking standard for structured sober living homes with six to 10 residents. Four on-site parking spaces are required.
- Created a Zoning Disability Accommodation Committee to review and provide decisions on disability accommodation requests. The committee consists of five members including the department directors from the Equal Opportunity Department, Neighborhood Services Department, and Planning and Development Department, or their designees, and two members appointed by the City Manager: one representing a registered neighborhood organization and the other representing the community residence industry.
For additional information, please contact the Zoning Section at 602-262-7131, Option 6, or zoning@phoenix.gov.
Do you want to submit an online registration form?
Registration forms can be submitted online through the Shape PHX portal or by scheduling an in-person appointment with the Zoning Counter.
Documents, Applications, and Resources
- Registration Instructions for Community Residences
- Registration Form for Community Residence Homes (6-10 residents)
- Registration Form for Community Residence Centers (11+ residents); and Group Homes and Boarding Houses (6+ residents)
- Disability Accommodation Request Form - Staff Review
- Disability Accommodation Request Form - Zoning Disability Committee Review
- Care Facility Occupancy Certification
- Good Neighbor Policy
- Approved Ordinance for the Group Home/Community Residence Text Amendment
- Licensing for Structured Sober Living Homes
- Arizona Department of Heath Services
- Joint Statement of HUD and DOJ, State and Local Land Use Laws, and Application of the Fair Housing Act
Group Homes and Community Residences
Watch this video to hear Planning and Development staff explain how changes will increase protections for residents of the homes and for the neighborhoods where they are located.