ORDINANCE
STATE OF LOUISIANA NO. 12,292
CITY OF MONROE
The following Ordinance was introduced by Harvey , who moved for its adoption, and was seconded by Muhammad :
AN ORDINANCE AMENDING AND SECTION 37-92 (USE STANDARDS) OF THE MONROE CITY CODE TO ADJUST THE OCCUPANCY LIMITS FOR SOBER LIVING HOMES.
WHEREAS, Chapter 37 of the City of Monroe Code, entitled “Zoning,” contains the Comprehensive Zoning Ordinance for the City of Monroe;
WHEREAS, through Ordinance No. 12,277, the City Council established sober living homes as a permitted use and established supplementary use standards governing sober living homes;
WHEREAS, Section 37-92(o)(10) limited the number of occupants in a sober living home to six (6) occupants in the aggregate or two (2) occupants per bedroom, whichever is greater;
WHEREAS, the Louisiana Department of Health generally requires certain residential facilities to maintain at least sixty (60) square feet per bed in multi-bedroom sleeping rooms, with a maximum of four beds per room, see La. Admin. Code, Tit. 48, Part. I, Chapter 56, § 5669;
WHEREAS, the National Alliance for Recovery Residences and the Louisiana Association of Recovery Residences generally recommend at least fifty (50) square feet of floor area per bed in each sleeping room, see NARR and LARR Standard 2, E, 14., d.;
WHEREAS, to promote the health, safety, and welfare of the occupants within the sober living home, the City desires to further amend Section 37-92(o)(10) to establish occupancy limits based on the square footage of bedrooms within the sober living home, consistent with general guidelines from the Louisiana Department of Health (LDH), the National Alliances for Recovery Residences (NARR), and the Louisiana Association of Recovery Residences (LARR); and
WHEREAS, the Monroe Planning Commission recommended approval of this text amendment at its March 9, 2026, meeting by a 5-0-1 vote (TAM 101-26).
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT ORDAINED by the City Council of the City of Monroe, Louisiana, in legal session convened, that Section 37-92(o)(10) is hereby amended to read as follows, with all other provisions remaining unchanged:
Sec. 37-92. – Use standards.
(o) Sober Living Homes
(10) The maximum occupancy of a sober living home shall be determined by the number of bedrooms in the home. The maximum occupancy of a bedroom shall be one (1) person per sixty (60) square feet of floor area, exclusive of fixed cabinets, fixtures, and equipment, and shall not exceed four (4) occupants per bedroom.
This Ordinance was introduced on March 24, 2026.
Notice published on March 27th , 2026.
This Ordinance having been submitted in writing, introduced, and published, was then submitted to a vote as a whole, the vote thereon being as follows:
AYES: Harvey, McFarland & Muhammad
NAYS: None.
ABSENT: Ezernack & Woods
And the Ordinance was declared ADOPTED on April 14, 2026.
Rodney McFarland, I
CHAIRPERSON
Carolus S. Riley
CITY CLERK
Oliver Friday Ellis
MAYOR’S APPROVAL
______________________________
MAYOR’S VETO