City Puts Limits on Hotel Stay

Following the lead of neighboring cities, Santa Ana officials voted Monday to limit how long guests may stay at certain hotels.

All seven City Council members voted to limit stays at many hotels to 28 consecutive days or 28 days within a 60-day period. Anaheim, Costa Mesa, Stanton and Garden Grove have similar policies.

The ordinance would apply only to “resident” hotels that serve as homes for 25% or more of their guests. Santa Ana has 13 such facilities, officials said, mostly near downtown.

Such measures have drawn strong criticism from advocates for the homeless and low-income working people, who they say cannot afford apartments in Orange County. They also object that forcing families to relocate once a month means that children have to switch schools several times a year.

“You’ve already got a kid who has the stigma of [being part of] a family in crisis,” Jim Palmer, president of the Orange County Rescue Mission, said before the meeting. “Trying to fit in at a new place while dealing with that is really hard.”

Though the ordinance takes effect this month, hotels have three years to comply or to remodel their rooms and add features such as kitchens and recreation areas if they are to register long-term guests. The ordinance would not apply to hotels that serve mostly tourists and business travelers.

According to a city staff report, residence hotels can attract crime and lack “amenities necessary for the health and safety of families and particularly children.” Santa Ana police officials say that long-term residence hotels generate more than twice as many emergency calls as other lodgings.