SOUTH SALT LAKE – A former Motel 6 at 315 W. 3300 South will be converted and opened as a new emergency shelter for families, bringing the state closer to its goal of increasing the number of emergency shelters.
Late last week, an application to convert the building into a transitional family housing facility was submitted and announced by Shelter the Homeless, Road Home and South Salt Lake. The new family facility will be operated by Road Home and will provide temporary on-site housing and care for 70 to 80 families staying in private rooms.
“Our team at the Road Home has worked with South Salt Lake over the past five years to build a strong, supportive partnership,” said Michelle Flynn, executive director of the Road Home. “We know how much this community cares about children and families, and we look forward to creating a welcoming, safe and supportive environment for families to build the connections they need and quickly move into stable housing.”
The building has already been purchased, but the Road Home needs approval from the South Salt Lake Planning Commission and the South Salt Lake City Council to convert it and operate it as a transitional housing facility for homeless families.
“We are grateful for the support of the Mayor and South Salt Lake City Council and are committed to working with the community in a cooperative and transparent manner,” Laurie Hopkins, executive director of Shelter the Homeless, said in a statement. “Together, we can lay the foundation for a successful partnership to provide families with a safe and productive place to get back on their feet.”
A second facility for families was a top priority for the Salt Lake Valley Coalition to End Homelessness and the state Office of Homeless Services because the Connie Crosby Family Resource Center, formerly the Midvale Family Resource Center, has been at or near capacity for several years.
In the winter of 2022, for the first time since 1998, families with children were turned away due to overcrowding in homeless shelters. The problem was recognized this summer by the Utah Homelessness Council, which decided to allocate $3 million to build a second emergency shelter for homeless families in Salt Lake County. Homeless advocates at the time viewed the move as progress in meeting the growing need.
“It’s exciting that the state recognizes that we need enough beds to meet the emergency needs of homeless families. Nobody wants children sleeping outside,” said Bill Tibbitts, deputy executive director of the Crossroads Urban Center, at the time.
But as last winter approached, it was clear that the process of selecting the building, purchasing it, and obtaining approval from the city’s Planning Commission and City Council would not be completed in time, leaving homeless families with children with limited options for a second time.
The building had already been purchased by the state last November, but no building permit had yet been issued.
“This year, the focus has been on developing a permanent solution,” Tibbitts said last winter. “What we don’t seem to have done enough of is come up with a plan to get through the winter until the plant opens.”
A special meeting of the South Salt Lake City Council and Planning Commission is scheduled for Wednesday at 6 p.m. to consider the application. If the process moves quickly enough, the hope is that the project will “provide an additional program option and capacity to better meet current needs and prevent families from having to be turned away due to lack of space, as has been the case for over a year,” representatives from Shelter the Homeless and Road Home said in a joint statement.
