48.743 Community living arrangements for children.

(1) In this section, “community living arrangement for children" means a residential care center for children and youth or a group home.

(2) Community living arrangements for children shall be subject to the same building and housing ordinances, codes, and regulations of the municipality or county as similar residences located in the area in which the facility is located.

(3) The department shall designate a subunit to keep records and supply information on community living arrangements for children under ss. 59.69 (15) (f), 60.63 (7), and 62.23 (7) (i) 6. The subunit shall be responsible for receiving all complaints regarding community living arrangements for children and for coordinating all necessary investigatory and disciplinary actions under the laws of this state and under the rules of the department relating to the licensing of community living arrangements for children.

(4) A community living arrangement for children with a capacity for 8 or fewer persons shall be a permissible use for purposes of any deed covenant which limits use of property to single-family or 2-family residences. A community living arrangement for children with a capacity for 15 or fewer persons shall be a permissible use for purposes of any deed covenant which limits use of property to more than 2-family residences. Covenants in deeds which expressly prohibit use of property for community living arrangements for children are void as against public policy.

(5) If a community living arrangement for children is required to obtain special zoning permission, as defined in s. 59.69 (15) (g), the department shall, at the request of the unit of government responsible for granting the special zoning permission, inspect the proposed facility and review the program proposed for the facility. After such inspection and review, the department shall transmit to the unit of government responsible for granting the special zoning permission a statement that the proposed facility and its proposed program have been examined and are either approved or disapproved by the department.

History: 2007 a. 20.

A holding that a community living arrangement with a capacity of 10 persons was not barred by a deed covenant limiting use to a single-family residence. Crowley v. Knapp, 94 Wis. 2d 421, 288 N.W.2d 815 (1980). See also Overlook Farms v. Alternative Living, 143 Wis. 2d 485, 422 N.W.2d 131 (Ct. App. 1988).