Next Steps for Homeless Resource Centers

If you’re confused about who is doing what to help Salt Lake City’s homeless population, we get it! It’s complicated because there are several groups working on many different projects.

What the City Council is Doing

The City Council’s current effort is planning for two new Homeless Resource Centers that will provide shelter and important programs for people who are homeless.

It’s the Council’s job to approve zoning requirements that the HRCs must comply with in order to operate in the City. These requirements, also called “qualifying provisions,” include rules about the maximum number of people who can stay at the resource centers, keeping the grounds clean, prohibiting people from lining up on public sidewalks and streets, and more. For a detailed report about the proposed requirements, click here.

The requirements are an important part of making sure the Resource Centers operate in an orderly, responsive manner and become positive additions to the neighborhoods where they will be built. The Council really wants your feedback – including requirements you think should be added – and encourages you to attend one of the following public meetings.

Who else is involved?

Salt Lake City, Salt Lake County and The Shelter the Homeless Board are working with an architect on the building and property designs for the Homeless Resource Centers. They are hosting a public forum and open houses on the following dates.

Tuesday, September 26

Public Forum

6 p.m. – 8 p.m.

The Leonardo – Auditorium

209 East 500 South

Wednesday, September 27

Open House

4 p.m. – 6 p.m.

131 East 700 South

Thursday, September 28

Open House

4 p.m. – 6 p.m.

275 West High Avenue

Background

The City, with the help of several partners, is building two Homeless Resource Centers in Salt Lake City in order to address crime and public safety issues associated with the current homeless services model. Rather than the current approach that features one large homeless shelter and related services in the same neighborhood, the City will build two Homeless Resource Centers in different neighborhoods that will serve much smaller populations. These will be paired with a new Resource Center Salt Lake County will build in South Salt Lake.

Designing, planning, and funding the HRCs are all major efforts that will have respective public processes. Currently, the Salt Lake City Council is tasked with adopting requirements that the HRCs will be required to comply with in order to operate in the City. The City asked the public in January 2017 to come up with the requirements. The City incorporated the public feedback it received into a draft proposal that the City Council will soon consider. The Council invites the public to review the draft requirements and provide feedback.

More information

Homeless Resource Center Document Index

City Homeless Resource Centers webpage

Shelter The Homeless Board

Salt Lake County Collective Impact Model