The Sept. 3 announcement of a location for a new, 1,300-bed homeless campus in Salt Lake City is drawing concern from some stakeholders. They say there aren’t enough transportation options to make it successful.
The search for a place to locate a massive homeless campus started last October. Rather than offering individuals experiencing homelessness shelter alone, Utah aims to connect them to resources that will help them move toward long-term stability and self-sufficiency. It’s meant as a more effective solution to the state’s growing homeless crisis.
The site selected by the Utah Office of Homeless Services and the Utah Homeless Services Board is a 15.85-acre plot at 2520 N 2200 W in the city’s recently annexed Northpointe area, which is mostly agricultural land.
After learning about the proposed site, deputy executive director of Crossroads Urban Center Bill Tibbitts said he saw a problem – the nearest public transportation option is a bus stop 2.5 miles away.
“If people have to walk for an hour and after spending an hour taking another hour taking bus routes, then a lot of people just aren't going to make it to the new shelter,” Tibbitts said.
He’s worried the transportation gap will make the plan backfire. If funding and resources for other overflow shelters are rerouted to the new facility people can’t get to, he said, the number of unsheltered individuals could rise.
“Transportation is such a huge part of getting out of homelessness.,” he said.
And it’s not just a matter of finding transportation to the campus. Individuals experiencing homelessness need the options to leave, too, according to Damon Talbot, operations director for Unsheltered Utah, a nonprofit that helps unhoused people meet their immediate needs.
“It almost feels more like you're a prisoner,” Talbot said. “You know, you're going to be at this campus and you're going to be getting on the list to get into housing, but now you're just kind of stuck there until that happens.”
Talbot said he was unhoused a few decades ago in his early 20s, and he understands the important role public transportation plays for individuals in the same situation. They want the ability to visit loved ones who aren’t at the campus, leave for medical appointments or go to the store. Transportation options are also important in securing employment, as people need an income to get out of homelessness.
“I feel like a lot of people, if they have the choice of going there or not, they're not going to want to,” he said.
Talbot added that many state officials don’t have first-hand experience with homelessness. He thinks that’s why they didn’t see the crucial need for transportation when deciding on the campus’s location.
In a statement to KUER, the Utah Office of Homeless Services said it is developing private shuttles to serve the new campus and existing shelters, and it is working with the Utah Transit Authority on busing and TRAX options.
