Salt Lake City Mayor provides update on tiny home community for city’s homeless

SALT LAKE CITY – Mayor Erin Mendenhall gave an update Thursday on the proposed tiny home community for the city’s chronically homeless. In a joint project, Salt Lake City and the Other Side Academy created The Other Side Village with the goal of giving people an affordable housing option.

@slcmayor and the Other Side announce plans for Other Side Village with hundreds of affordable housing units for the chronically homeless@kslnewsradio pic.twitter.com/hNTe09911V

— Nick Wyatt (@NickWyattNews) April 29, 2021

Other Side Academy chairman of the board, Joseph Brenny, explained these homes would have everything someone wants in a forever home.

“It needs to be able to have its own cooking facilities, a place where you can have a friend come and visit, a place where you can sleep, a place where you can shower and bathe,” Brenny said. “All of the kinds of things that any of us would prize in a permanent home will be part of this as well.”

No tiny home location locked down

 

Organizers have not yet decided on a final location for the Other Side Village, but Mayor Mendenhall has a few requirements in mind.

“It’s a significant piece of land size that we are looking for,” the mayor said. “Being able to connect to infrastructure and even public transit, I think are things we can navigate, but proximity to those resources will be a piece of the consideration.”

The initial phase of building the community will create 40 tiny homes but could eventually number in the hundreds.

“It will ultimately provide a dignified, safe, and prosperous life for 400-500 men and women,” Brenny said.

Brenny says they have had an overwhelming outpouring of support from builders, foundations, community leaders, and religious leaders for the project.

Mayor Mendenhall hopes to have residents moved into the first phase of homes by November 1, 2021.