Utah to build new homeless development that aims to house 1,300 in Salt Lake City

SALT LAKE CITY — Utah announced it had made a contractual agreement to build a “first-of-its-kind” development Wednesday that aims to provide 1,300 beds to the state’s homeless community.

The facility will be located on a 15.85-acre parcel at 2520 N. 2200 West, toward the edge of the city’s boundary with North Salt Lake, according to a press release from Utah’s Workforce Services and the Governor’s Office of Planning and Budget.

“The campus is envisioned as a comprehensive hub where individuals experiencing homelessness can access the support and treatment they need to move from homelessness to stability and long-term self-reliance,” the release states, adding that it will aim to provide resources to help the community with recovery, employment, criminal justice and housing all from within the facility.

The release said operations of the campus are expected to begin in 2027, after funding partnerships are secured. 

The governor’s office did not immediately provide more detail on the budgetary needs of the development, but in the state’s 2025 fiscal year, Gov. Spencer Cox recommended an allotment of $30 million for “deeply affordable housing.” The official budget listed an amount of $30,098,000 for “Homeless Housing Reform Rest. Acct (GFR).”

In the governor’s 2026 recommended budget, Cox mentioned “an expected 2,000 units of deeply affordable housing” that were underway, and recommended another $18.8 million for continued homelessness alleviation efforts. However, those funds, if granted, are expected to be used for a second family shelter in Salt Lake County and a statewide emergency shelter — both projects that have yet to be discussed more publicly.

The new facility is expected to be a large capacity jump from Salt Lake’s microshelter, which was the first major effort made to provide housing for homeless communities in late 2023, and another effort in Sandy called Medically Vulnerable People program, which houses 165 beds.

In Wednesday’s press release, Mayor Erin Mendenhall said the facility will also aim to help first responders by keeping a central location to the city’s homeless resources.

“Our state has long needed more shelter beds and services, and this campus represents a critical step forward in supporting the most vulnerable people in our communities,” Mendenhall said. “By providing consistent shelter and wraparound services in one location, this facility could also help Salt Lake City first responders by reducing the number of emergency calls, freeing up law enforcement to focus on public safety, and better connecting people to the help they need.”

“We need a permanent location where we don’t have to expand every winter, we need a year-round 24/7 operation with services,” said Wayne Niederhauser, Utah’s State Homeless Coordinator.

Although not finalized yet, Niederhauser said it’s “highly probable” the center expected to be built there will bus people in off the street, give them a place to stay, and provide services on site to help them get their lives back together.

“One of our purposes is to get people out of the shelter as soon as possible but not before we’ve addressed or helped them address the challenges they’re facing,” said Niederhauser.

Randy Shumway, chair of the Utah Homeless Services Board also commented in Wednesday’s release:

“Despite tremendous effort, resources, and goodwill across the state, homelessness in Utah has continued to worsen—for both those experiencing it and for our communities,” he said. “The proposed Utah campus will take a human-first approach that provides healing and stability while embedding accountability at every stage. By pairing compassionate support and medical care with clear expectations and opportunities for growth, the campus will help individuals reclaim their inherent dignity, achieve self-reliance, and live drug-free, crime-free, and contributing lives.”

The governor’s office said a feasibility study has already been completed for the new campus, and environmental studies are “ongoing.” The project’s next steps will be to secure funding, “engage with community stakeholders, service providers and state leaders” before the building is actualized.

Homeless development impacts community

While the new campus is meant to solve challenges for those who would use it, the small neighborhood of farmers who live near the parcel voiced concerns.

“I’m struggling to be okay with it… I’m struggling,” said Natalee Thompson, who lives next to the future homeless campus.

KSL TV spoke with several people in this small community, concerned most with the safety issues that often accompany Utah’s homeless.

“I want to be empathetic and compassionate, and I also want to be able to continue to have a small farm. I want to be able to do that safely,”  Thompson said.

“We, myself, I, go outside and my children go outside at night to check our animals. We have a location that would be easier for someone if they choose not to go to the facility to camp for the night,” said Nichole Solt, who lives next to the future homeless campus.

On Wednesday, KSL TV shared those concerns with Utah’s Homeless Coordinator, who said he understands why people would be worried.

“We’re also concerned, and we want it to be safe for the surrounding community and for those that will be on campus,” Niederhauser said.

For anyone who wants to learn more, a public meeting is scheduled for Wednesday night at the Day-Riverside Library at 5 p.m. KSL TV was informed that attendees can ask questions and share their input.

If the campus plans receive the needed funding, construction would begin in 2026 to be up and running by 2027. 

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This is a developing story. It may be updated.