Salt Lake City and the Utah State Office of Homeless Services announced a pilot program for a Temporary Shelter Community estimated to run from November 2023 through April 30, 2024, on 300 South and 600 West. The community will consist of temporary, non-congregate housing for 50 unsheltered residents.

A press release from Mayor Erin Mendenhall’s office said phase one of the program will begin this winter, while phase two will start in 2024 to establish a more permanent non-congregate shelter program at an unannounced location in Salt Lake City.

The temporary location is located near public transportation and an established unsheltered camp.

In addition to temporary housing for 50 residents, Homelessness Services Coordinator Wayne Niederhauser said in the press release there will be an additional 600-plus beds available in various shelters this winter season in Salt Lake County for those experiencing homelessness.

“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,” Mendenhall said in the press release.

The Pods

The design of the temporary housing is still underway, the press release explained. 

“The goal is to provide pod-like, hardsided structures on site that would give each individual a private space,” it said. “The perimeter will be fenced for security, appropriate lighting will be installed, and the site will also include portable restrooms and washing stations.”

The purpose of the new Temporary Housing Community is to provide a variation of shelters for the homeless based on their needs. Mendenhall said the city wants to set unsheltered residents up for success.

District 2 City Council Member Alejandro Puy said in an interview with the Chronicle that Salt Lake’s shelters are at 99.5% capacity, and the city is trying to find cheaper and more effective solutions to address the current housing crisis. The lot is in Puy’s district.

“I believe this is a more compassionate and dignified solution for those that are living in the streets,” he said.

Puy’s initiative towards homeless shelters started with his own connection to a program in Denver called Safe Outdoor Spaces. SOS is dedicated to providing “healthy, secure, staffed, resource and service-rich environments” for those experiencing homelessness in Denver, according to their website.

Puy said after visiting these sites in Denver about ten times, he wanted to push for the Salt Lake City Council to use the same concept as part of their solution to homelessness.

Salt Lake is contributing $500,000 towards the temporary project and set aside $1 million of state funding for study and future permanent housing. It’s estimated each pod will cost between $10,000 and $15,000. 

‘Everybody’s problem’

While the community is receiving city funding, Puy said this crisis needs more federal support.

“This is not a liberal city issue,” he said.

Puy added many unsheltered residents struggle with issues such as substance abuse and mental health and need resources to address these issues. He advocated to “remove the veil from our eyes to see the crisis that we have in front of us.”

Puy also said many nonprofits are addressing these issues, but their efforts alone are not enough.

“We want the state and the federal government to give us the resources to tackle mental health and substance abuse treatment centers,” he said.

To put it simply, Puy said the housing crisis is “everybody’s problem, and we need to all together find solutions.”

However, according to the Salt Lake Tribune, various residents have expressed concern about the limited scope of the project, as the city has thousands of unsheltered residents.

Mendenhall said she is aware the pods will not serve everybody experiencing homelessness in Salt Lake, but added “It’s the beginning of a new service model that we haven’t ever seen in the state of Utah, and it’s on top of 600 shelter beds that we’ll be opening in November with the winter overflow plan.” 

Community Safety

As far as community safety goes, Puy said Denver’s SOS model has shown success, with just one call being placed to police in nearly three years of operation.

Puy hopes sanctioned areas will provide more support for unsheltered residents, as unsanctioned areas are what can cause safety issues.

“We see a lot of unsanctioned camping, a lot of garbage, a lot of litter. … We hope that we can bring more order today to that area,” he said.

He added that he’s “hopeful” the temporary housing will be a success and stated, “We are going to keep a good eye on it and make sure that it is a success.”

Once permanent housing is installed, the community will be overseen by the State Office of Homelessness Services. Overseers for the temporary housing will be contracted through the state, but have not been announced.

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