State opens new 50-bed ‘microshelter’ community for homeless under freeway overpasses

LaDonna Sidney, 48, enters her pod at the new state-sponsored "microshelter community," located at 548 S. 700 West in Salt Lake City, on Sept. 30, 2024. (Katie McKellar / Utah News Dispatch)

With winter around the corner, state officials this weekend officially relocated and opened a new state-sponsored “microshelter community” on a parcel of publicly-owned land nestled beneath freeway overpasses in Salt Lake City.

The microshelters — or hard-shell pods built by the company Foldum that feature lockable doors, power outlets, and heating and air conditioning — can house up to 50 people experiencing homelessness, with two one-bed units in each of the 25 pods.

Last winter, Salt Lake City and state officials partnered to open the first microshelter community as a pilot project near 300 South and 600 West in downtown Salt Lake City. About two months ago, that location shut down in anticipation of the new microshelter location, and its homeless residents have stayed in either hotels or at a West Valley City winter overflow shelter while they waited for the new community to get up and running.

On Saturday, the Utah Office of Homeless Services and the new community’s operator, the homeless provider Switchpoint , began moving residents to the new community, located on a property owned by the Utah Department of Transportation at 548 S. 700 West in Salt Lake City.

The property is fully enclosed with privacy fencing and is staffed 24/7 by Switchpoint providers, who supervise who goes in and out. The community also has restrooms and showers, paved pathways to all of the pods, and sidewalk lighting.

LaDonna Sidney, 48, who moved into one of the pods Saturday, said she didn’t mind the dull roar from the freeway overpasses overhead; she was just grateful to have a space of her own. It may be small — just enough room for her twin bed and her belongings — but she said she was happy to be in a secure, gated community.

“There’s nothing more perfect,” she said while sitting on her bed in her pod. “I’m very grateful for this opportunity.”

Utah News Dispatch toured the microshelter community Monday, the day state officials announced the move in a news release. During the Dispatch’s visit, Sidney said she was previously staying in the West Valley City shelter before moving into the pod. That shelter, she said, “was not the worst place in the world,” but she was grateful to have her own room for privacy’s sake.

“You have your own space and you don’t have to share anybody’s germs,” she said.

Sidney said she first came to Utah several months ago from Illinois, which she said she left in search of more work opportunities after she lost her housing. After arriving, she said she got in touch with the Utah Department of Workforce Services. She’s since got two jobs, she said, one as a part-time manager at the beauty accessories store Claire’s and another full-time job as a package handler at FedEx.

But Sidney doesn’t make enough to afford housing, so she applied for housing assistance in Davis County. While she waits for housing to open up, she’s been staying in shelters while she saves up enough money to afford a place of her own.

“My hopes are I can just continue working and continue saving money and I can end up being able to live in society,” she said.

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Three different “subpopulations” are eligible to stay in the microshelters, according to Switchpoint staff. Those who are actively working but don’t have a place to live while they’re waiting for housing assistance; those who would be vulnerable living on the streets but can carry out daily tasks without assistance; and those who were living on the streets that don’t thrive in group settings or they refuse to go into congregate shelters.

The aim with all these different populations is to include a mix of people from different backgrounds in the community, said Cody Sanders, Switchpoint’s Salt Lake regional director.

“We want it to be as effective as it can, and try to reach those that it will help the most,” Sanders said.

The first 25 people who moved in Saturday were former residents at the previous microshelter location, while the remaining 25 will be referred through the Salt Lake Valley Coalition to End Homelessness’ coordinated entry process, which will refer people from throughout Salt Lake County.

The microshelter community does have rules for its residents. Sanders said they’re given a “handbook,” which makes clear they can’t engage in “illegal activities” while they’re there. “No illegal drugs,” he said. “We also have a curfew. They need to be back here by 10 p.m., unless they’re working.”

“Other than that,” he added, “the basics is just respect other people here, respect staff, clean up after yourself.”

The new microshelter community has cost the state roughly $1.8 million in site improvements, plus monthly operating costs. Its operating budget has been funded at nearly $1.5 million, which is slated to last from this month to June 30, 2025, according to the Office of Homeless Services. The property itself, owned by UDOT, is being leased at $1 a year for 20 years.

The 2025 Utah Legislature funded the project as part of the roughly $25 million it set aside for “low barrier” (or more easily accessible) shelter. In the meantime, state officials have to announce a site for a new 600- to 800-bed emergency shelter, which is still in the works.

“We are deeply thankful for the Utah legislature’s support, which has made this project possible,” said state homeless coordinator Wayne Neiderhauser in a statement. “The successful microshelter pilot, with its notable exits to housing and low calls for enforcement, demonstrates that this model works. This second phase represents a crucial step toward greater stabilization and long-term solutions for those in need.”

State officials also expressed gratitude for other companies that made the project possible, including the Utah-based construction firm Landmark Companies, Rocky Mountain Power, Foldum, Sunrise Engineering, and the Utah Division of Facilities Construction.

“The opening of the microshelter program, along with the planned expansion for Salt Lake County’s winter response in 2024, represents significant efforts to prepare for winter weather earlier than ever before,” state officials said in the release.

Salt Lake City Mayor Erin Mendenhall also applauded the project, calling it a “landmark moment.”

“The pilot program demonstrated that this is a shelter model that serves a hard-to-reach segment of the unsheltered population and brings them much-needed stability,” Mendenhall said. “It’s a testament to our commitment to exploring and deploying compassionate and effective solutions for those in need.”

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