[skyzep]

Ohio laws on kids sleeping in the same room

[ScottGem]

There for are none. This is rarely a subject for legislation or even regulation.

[Fr_Chuck]

Children and Family services may have their rules and options. It is only a issue normally after a problem happens and they second guess what should have done.

Are they same sex, different sex, related,

[twinkiedooter]

Check with the folks down at the County Zoning department. A lot of counties in Ohio don't allow children of different sexes sleeping in the same room after a certain age. This all depends on the age of the children and the number of bedrooms, etc. Call them. They will be more than happy to go over the living arrangements with you. For instance, a home with 3 bedrooms. A husband and wife in one bedroom. A son aged 5 in another bedroom. A daughter aged 2 in another. A baby in the same room as the daughter aged 2. There are too many people for the 3 bedroom house and the family will have to move. This scenerio was repeated where I live 3 different times and each time the family in question had to move. My neighbors live in a 2 Bedroom home. They already have 1 son. She is expecting another child in a few months. They know they will have to move.

The local density regulations are what takes precedence here. Check with the Zoning folks.

Another instance of how nutty Ohio is. My other neighbors are all adults. A mother and her son and the son's girlfriend living in a 2 bedroom home. The mother's exhusband came and started living with her and her son and son's girlfriend. Too many people in a 2 bedroom home. The exhusband had to move.

[ScottGem]

If there are regs on this, they are applied only if someone makes a complaint. Even then, the regulators may not enforce the rules under certain circumstances.

[twinkiedooter]

Sorry, Scott, too many people is too many people and the County does enforce the rules. I have yet to see where there are circumstances where this does not apply. Yes, the County needs to be informed via a complaint though and they will investigate and literally measure each room of the house. Here they are hungry for work and happily go out and investigate each complaint thoroughly even if it means a family has to move. The family is generally given at least 6 months from the date of the determination that the Zoning Dept makes that too many people are living in that home/apt. The county will work with a family for several weeks or months if the family is having a hard time relocating. But ultimately they will have to vacate their current residence even if they own it or reduce the number of people inhabiting it.

Under what certain circumstances do you think that a family could stay if there are too many people in the home/apt? I've spent many happy hours on the phone with the folks at Zoning and they are quite adamant about how many people can reside in a home/apt. The reason I spent time on the phone with them was due to my job at a law office.

If this is government housing in question, then there MAY be different rules, but I doubt it. It all depends upon the square footage of the rooms and the entire house/apt square footage as well.

[cdad]

If it's the government that's involved then it's a HUD issue. As in welfare subsidized housing. But as far as most cities go there usually isn't a strict law as to how many there are only nusiance laws. Is it really up to the government to tell a family that they have too many children so they are going to have to move ? Sure there are laws on the books pertaining to 1 family per household etc but as far as the number of children ( unless truly excessive ) then its not really their business to say anything. I would love to see the laws if they are out there for occupancy on a city or county level.

[Fr_Chuck]

Again, what is the sexes of the children, is this is Section 8 and/or government housing.

[ScottGem]

While some Ohio counties may be stringent about this, its not the norm in the US. As Califdad said, do we want that much government interference in our lives. There are so many instances where a family may find themselves in a situation where children have to double and triple up.
In most places these laws are there, if they are there at all, to prevent excessive crowding.

[twinkiedooter]

The original question dealt with the State of Ohio.

The county guy I spoke with at Zoning Dept said "I'm paid to enforce the rules. I don't have to care if a family goes homeless".

Califdad - Call up Wayne County, Ohio and ask them about their restrictions. You'll get an earfull I promise.

[ScottGem]

The county guy I spoke with at Zoning Dept said "I'm paid to enforce the rules. I don't have to care if a family goes homeless".

If that's not the most brainless bureaucratic garbage I've ever heard, it certainly comes close.

So its better to turn out some family in the street where they will have to be supported by taxpayer dollars or worse, then look the other way because of some arbitrary rules on room sharing.

[GV70]

The original question dealt with the State of Ohio.

The county guy I spoke with at Zoning Dept said "I'm paid to enforce the rules. I don't have to care if a family goes homeless".

Califdad - Call up Wayne County, Ohio and ask them about their restrictions. You'll get an earfull I promise.

Would you like to inform us which laws,articles and etc govern it?Which code forbids sharing a room?
Thank you.

[GV70]

I have 15 years experience with "County guys and gals" working for Social,Protective and Zoning Services and I learned my lesson.
I cannot agree more with ScottGem-many of them ARE brainless bureaucratic garbage.Their credo is:"More cases-more money for us" /they are not hungry for work and they are interested in money only.The real money grubbers!/

As my friend Ian Josephs wrote,there are Golden Rules:
" 1-NEVER contact social services (child protection)/or Zoning Services/ for advice.
2- Never believe a word "they" say and always insist they put their promises down in writing.
3: NEVER, NEVER, NEVER sign any documents they present to you, even if they say "you have to!" Social Workers rely on BLUFF. In reality they have NO POWER and no right to threaten you or give you orders of any kind! Only a COURT via an order from a judge can give you orders, and you always have the opportunity to contest those orders in court either before or after they are given to you. No matter what threats,or promises they make, you can be 100% sure that if you get intimidated into signing they will break their word and expect you to keep your's! So, DO NOT SIGN!
4: Never, never agree to let your children go into foster care (especially if they say it is TEMPORARY OR VOLUNTARY) Never "agree" the thresholds even if you are advised that this will ensure the return of your children, because if you do you will have admitted neglecting or abusing your child and the only question left will be to decide if you have really repented and are capable of "change"! Usually the answer is no!
5-Protect yourself against social workers barging uninvited into your home by fitting a small chain inside your front door. This means that if you do not unlatch the chain when you see who is calling that person would have to push the door hard enough to break the chain which would be a "forced entry "and a criminal offense if committed without a document from the court such as a "recovery order" specifically allowing entry using reasonable force."

[Fr_Chuck]

Agreed, first you only get investigated and they only checked if someone turns you in or you start asking the authorities. The main issue I have seen too often is people talking thierself into things.

I had social service try it with me, I told them I would physcialy throw them off my property if they did not leave,

They came back with a police officer I asked if he had a warrant, he said no I asked him to leave or I would have to remove him also.

I had my attorney send CPS a letter threatening legal action, never heard back.

But in the end, unless someone reports something no one knows if there are 10 or 1 person in a home. And they have no legal grounds to come in and look without a warrant.

[GV70]

Agreed, first you only get investigated and they only checked if someone turns you in or you start asking the authorities. The main issue I have seen too often is people talking thierself into things.

I had social service try it with me, I told them I would physcialy throw them off my property if they did not leave,

they came back with a police officer I asked if he had a warrant, he said no I asked him to leave or I would have to remove him also.

I had my attorney send CPS a letter threatening legal action, never heard back.

But in the end, unless someone reports something no one knows if there are 10 or 1 person in a home. And they have no legal grounds to come in and look without a warrant.

:)YES YES AND YES!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Unless they intend to actually arrest someone or have good reason to believe someone in the house is in danger of severe physical harm, police also would have to have a warrant before breaking the chain. Usually they will not have one and would have to convince a judge that a serious crime had been or was about to be committed before one was granted.

[GV70]

The basis is The Federal Fair Housing Act which gives guidance about "Overcrowding and reasonable occupancy restrictions" and also the Fair Housing Act Amendments for "reasonable" governmental occupancy standards"
A lot of local governments have their own rules about s.c."Internal density".
Example:
Dana Point Municipal Code
6.16.018 Prohibition on Overcrowded Units.
(I) here is less than one hundred twenty (120) square feet of habitable net floor space for each occupant in the dwelling unit, or there are fewer bedrooms than are required to accommodate the occupants in the dwelling unit at a ratio of two (2) persons per bedroom plus one (1) additional person per dwelling unit, whichever permits the greater number of occupants.