2025 Session Last amended: 2024 session

§ 245A.11 — Special Conditions for Residential Programs

Plain-Language Summary

Residential programs with a licensed capacity of six or fewer persons are treated as a permitted single-family residential use for zoning and land use purposes, while programs serving seven to 16 persons are treated as a permitted multifamily use. The section sets capacity limits for adult foster care and community residential settings (generally a maximum of four beds, with up to five or six allowed under specific variances), and bars a new residential program within 1,320 feet of an existing one except in stated situations. It also covers alternate overnight supervision using monitoring technology, data privacy and security, adult foster care bedrooms, resident rights, service termination protections, and child foster care license holder qualifications.

Practical Notes
If you run or live near a small residential care home, this section protects the home from being blocked by zoning rules and restrictive covenants. It also sets capacity limits and location restrictions for adult foster care and community residential settings, and establishes resident rights, privacy and monitoring rules, and service termination protections.