As Utah’s leaves start falling, so will its temperatures, so the state has reopened a microshelter camp in Salt Lake City to keep unhoused individuals out of the impending cold.
The new community is located at 548 S. 700 West and can house up to 50 individuals, according to a Monday news release from the Utah Office of Homeless Services.
Microshelters debuted in December 2023 under a seven-month pilot program at 600 West and 300 South. The Legislature allocated funding for the shelter’s relocation in its 2024 session.
(Bethany Baker | The Salt Lake Tribune) The microshelter community, opened by Utah’s Office of Homeless Services and designed to house up to 50 individuals experiencing homelessness, is seen in Salt Lake City on Monday, Sept. 30, 2024.
The community is operated by Switchpoint — a nonprofit aimed at sheltering Utahns experiencing homelessness — and offers more private, noncongregate living arrangements, the release states. City officials say prospective residents are selected through emergency shelter coordination by various services partners.
Residents started moving into the relocated community on Saturday, the release explains. The site is “fully enclosed” with fencing and lighting. It includes restrooms and washing stations, along with full-time employees to “prioritize safety and support.”
“The reopening of a more permanent microshelter community is a landmark moment for Salt Lake City and Utah,” Salt Lake City Mayor Erin Mendenhall said in the release. “The pilot program demonstrated that this is a shelter model that serves a hard-to-reach segment of the unsheltered population and brings them much-needed stability. It’s a testament to our commitment to exploring and deploying compassionate and effective solutions for those in need.”
(Bethany Baker | The Salt Lake Tribune) The microshelter community, opened by Utah’s Office of Homeless Services and designed to house up to 50 individuals experiencing homelessness, is seen in Salt Lake City on Monday, Sept. 30, 2024.
The microshelter’s pilot program served more than 200 clients, according to the Office of Homeless Services. About 25 of those clients have since secured outside housing placements.
“The successful microshelter pilot, with its notable exits to housing and low calls for enforcement, demonstrates that this model works,” Wayne Niederhauser, Utah’s homelessness coordinator, said in the release. “This second phase represents a crucial step toward greater stabilization and long-term solutions for those in need.”
