Estimated read time: 5-6 minutes
SALT LAKE CITY — A year ago, LaDonna Sidney said she was living in her apartment and came home everyday a little tired but grateful. She was trying to further education because she wanted more for her granddaughter and her son.
"Sometimes when you go that route, you end up having start back in square one and building again," she said. Sidney said she moved from Illinois to Utah to find opportunities to build her life again.
After a successful pilot program that started in December 2023, the community was moved to a more permanent location. The microshelters are not the only solution to increasing homelessness in Utah, but for some residents who live there, it has been a stepping stone to permanent housing. The new community has room for 50 residents. There are paved pathways to each dwelling and a fence surrounds the area.
"I feel a sense of home," said Sidney pointing out her bed with floral print blankets and new laundry supplies. "I feel a sense of safety and comfort." She said she felt safe at a Redwood Road shelter where she previously stayed, but felt a sense of home and friendship where she is now.
Sidney just started a new job working at FedEx and said she feels like she has gained so much already living at the microshelter.
"Everybody has a life here, everybody's trying to work," she said. She explained at the microshelter, she could wash her clothes and her hair, gesturing to her freshly styled curls. Beaming, she walked toward the air conditioner and said being able to escape the heat after a long day at work brought her joy.
To have her own space, Sidney said, "It feels amazing, I must admit. These are state of the art."
Sidney and other residents started moving in on Saturday. Residents said the game-changer was having a place to live as they started working again.
"I moved people in on Saturday and first thing they were like 'Oh man, this feels like home, thanks for taking us back,'" said Carol Hollowell, executive director of Switchpoint which operates the microshelter.
Around half the residents had jobs, which meant they needed to move in later. Hollowell said the pilot program of microshelters was full of success — people had a place to live where they could lock the door and keep their belongings safe. Staff built relationships with residents and helped them connect with resources. Residents got jobs and she said quite a few residents eventually moved into permanent housing.
"I would love to double the size of it," said Hollowell. "It's going to be up to legislation and to funders, but we certainly have a lot more people who want to be in these microshelters."
The microshelter is one part of a multipronged effort to fulfill the mission of Utah's Office of Homeless Services — to make homelessness rare, brief and nonrecurring. This office recently released its annual report dashboard on homelessness, which showed the number of Utahns experiencing homelessness for the first time increased in 2023.
The state's homelessness rate still tracks below the national average, but the number of Utahns experiencing homelessness multiple times in a year also increased.
"The data in this new report demonstrates the significant ongoing need for shelter and housing resources with supportive services," said Tricia Davis, director of the Office of Homeless Services.
Addressing homelessness means looking at the root cause, then going on to promote long-term stability, said Davis in a release.
A $51 million investment from the Utah Legislature will have a significant impact, said Wayne Niederhauser, Utah's homeless services coordinator. "Enhanced data capabilities, prevention strategies, statewide service support, immediate crisis response, and expanded winter services are essential steps toward stability and independence for those experiencing homelessness."
The success of the microshelter pilot program
Utah started a microshelter community with 50 beds as a pilot program in December 2023. Those involved with the pilot program said it was designed to help people who may have become "shelter resistant." Outreach started on the streets to find people not connected to another homeless resource center.
Microshelters allow case managers to work one-on-one with residents to address their specific needs, said Hollowell. It is a different approach than larger shelters.
For one, microshelters look different. A larger shelter is typically found in a big building set up to have multiple beds within the same room whereas a microshelter gives residents their own space. Not everyone can make the transition from a larger shelter into permanent housing, said Hollowell. Microshelters can work for some people who need a safe, smaller place to accept services.
"It's really made the residents feel like this is their little village and that they can control something — finally — in their life," said Hollowell.
Having this space can be crucial, said Hollowell, because it allows residents the time and space to gain back some stability. Then, they can work on getting their driver's license, get reconnected with medical care and figure out a path into permanent housing. She said since the microshelter opened in December, residents have stayed there for an average of a little less than four months.
One resident was a veteran who moved in and needed help connecting to Veterans Affairs, said Hollowell. Since he was able to stay in the same location, he was able to work with Veterans Affairs and eventually obtained a veteran voucher that allowed him to move into housing.
People have the misconception that people experiencing homelessness want to be homeless, said Hollowell. But what she sees is different.
"What I find is that they lose hope because every time they go to pick up their stuff, someone steals their ID or some of their benefits, like their social security card," she said. This means they have to start over and over again.
