By Kirk Bradford | [email protected]

The Salt Lake Valley Coalition to End Homelessness (SLVCEH) announced they have secured a new temporary housing facility located in Millcreek. The project will be a part of its winter overflow system. 

The SLVCEH was created in April 2019 and aims to end homelessness in Salt Lake County. The coalition is led by 16 steering committee members.

The coalition’s website states they have been working to “identify gaps in the system, utilize data, research, and resources to establish creative, effective strategies to address those gaps.” 

The new temporary housing facility in Millcreek is in the former Osmond Senior Living Memory Care facility on 950 E. 3300 South in Millcreek. It has 60 beds in a non-congregate setting, or up to 75 under emergency conditions. The use runs from mid-December to no later than April 15.

The facility intends to provide temporary housing during the cold winter months for those people who have already accepted help to transition out of homelessness. 

The use of this facility as temporary housing is a permitted one in the zone in which it is located. As such, no public hearing will be held (nor is one allowed by ordinance).

“We are heading into a Utah winter in the middle of the pandemic,” said Millcreek Mayor Jeff Silvestrini, “and it’s going to be a hard time for a lot of people. I'm pleased that our city can be a safe place, at least through this winter, for Utahns experiencing homelessness to call home as they transition to more stable living arrangements."

Millcreek Temporary Winter Housing will be operated by Switchpoint, which runs the Switchpoint Community Resource Center out of St. George, Utah. 

Officials anticipate that the Transitional Housing Facility will be “well-managed, we want you to know that you can call different individuals numbers if you have a question or a concern about the operation of the facility.”

You can reach Switchpoint (435-231-3638), Millcreek Planning Director Francis Lilly (801-214-2752 or [email protected]) or UPD Non-Emergency Dispatch (801-743-7000).

If you are interested in helping with SLVCEH’s cause, you can find more information about how to become a member at endutahhomelessness.org