Sandy City approves housing for medically vulnerable people

SANDY, Utah — In a unanimous vote on Tuesday, Sandy City has given the green light to a significant code change. This change paves the way for a new transitional housing facility to assist medically vulnerable people.

The facility, a former hotel at 8955 S. 255 West belongs to Shelter the Homeless. The facility is set to provide support to at-risk homeless seniors and individuals in need of ongoing medical care.

The change in the city’s code pertains to the definition of “transitional housing.” This adjustment allows the MVP (Medically Vulnerable People) facility to offer housing for up to two years to residents carefully chosen by Shelter the Homeless based on specific criteria.

These criteria primarily include individuals aged 62 or older and those with significant underlying health conditions or requiring recuperative care. Importantly, this facility will not be open for walk-in admissions.

Sandy Mayor Monica Zoltanski expressed her support for the initiative: “The operating conditions agreed upon are in the best interest of both the community and those served. The MVP model is a new kind of facility to help the most vulnerable address immediate needs, such as shelter and medical care.”

Mayor Zoltanski views the MVP model as a unique approach to addressing homelessness. She believes that will save lives and guide homeless individuals toward stable, permanent housing.

Establishing Sandy’s MVP facility could eliminate the city’s mandatory contribution to Utah’s homeless mitigation fund. The contribution currently amounts to $275,000 annually.

Related: Salt Lake City could soon have permanent, legal homeless camps