SALT LAKE CITY, Utah, Sept. 14, 2023 (Gephardt Daily) — State and city leaders announced plans Thursday to open a temporary shelter community in downtown Salt Lake City to serve 50 homeless Utahns beginning in November.
The pilot program for a non-congregate shelter calls for podlike, hard-sided structures that give individuals a private space near Salt Lake City’s Intermodal Hub along 300 South and 600 West, city officials said. The community would be fenced for security and include lighting, portable restrooms and washing stations.
The temporary shelter community would be first of its kind in Utah, with plans for a more permanent shelter in a different location in 2024, officials said.
The non-congregate shelter program is a collaborative effort between the Utah Office of Homeless Services and Salt Lake City, with the City Council committing $500,000 for sanctioned camping and the state setting aside $1 million to study and create a more permanent option.
“Our phased approach is strategic and allows us to thoughtfully and effectively implement something we have never seen or done before in the state of Utah,” Mayor Erin Mendenhall said. “We need more options for shelter and housing to give every resident the greatest chance of success. Though the city cannot — and should not — shoulder the homelessness crisis alone, we are wholeheartedly and enthusiastically partnering to pilot this new model.”
The temporary shelter site is owned by the Redevelopment Agency of Salt Lake City, with close proximity to transit and other services.
It will serve an estimated 50 homeless Utahns from November through April 2024, with a provider contracted through the state developing and managing day-to-day operations.
“This non-congregate shelter program increases capacity to support individuals experiencing homelessness in addition to the 600+ beds that will be available 24/7 this winter in Salt Lake County,” said Wayne Niederhauser, the state’s homeless coordinator. “This is a creative step in a much larger journey of solutions to make homelessness rare, brief, and non-recurring, and I am pleased with the collaboration and goodwill that brought us to this point.”
Plans also call for increased and coordinated efforts from law enforcement to ensure safety and security for temporary shelter community residents and nearby neighborhoods and businesses, city officials said.
“Ensuring the city responds with as many diversified strategies as possible to the humanitarian crisis of homelessness has been a priority for me since day one,” Salt Lake City Councilwoman Victoria Petro said. “This was merely a dream a few months ago when the council appropriated $500,000 for sanctioned camping, and we are already here with boots on the ground. I’m thrilled to see this pilot program become a reality and to continue working to further protect the dignity and safety of our constituents — both sheltered and unsheltered.”
Residents for the temporary shelter community will be identified through a pre-existing coordinated intake program for housing and shelter options in Salt Lake County.
For more information about the temporary shelter community, visit www.slc.gov/temporaryshelter.
