Salt Lake City Council votes to move forward with tiny home village to house homeless

SALT LAKE CITY — The Salt Lake County Council is taking the next steps in a tiny home village project that would provide housing for individuals in Utah experiencing homelessness.

Leaders with the project want to lease around eight acres of city-owned land to "The Other Side Academy" for the construction of a village with 430 tiny homes.

The tiny homes would be utilized as "recovery housing" for individuals experiencing homelessness, with services and resources to help them advance from the site.

The project has been in the works for a while, with Salt Lake City Mayor Erin Mendenhall announcing the program in April 2021.

Tuesday night, the council discussed the public's concerns about the use of resources and the disparity in how resources are distributed.

"I would like to acknowledge the trauma of my community," said Salt Lake City Council District two representative Alejandro Puy. "The trauma of my community about the feeling that everything comes to the westside but not that many good things come to the westside."

The tiny home village is expected to cost around $13.8 million, which would largely be paid for by contributions and donations.

Read - Salt Lake City announces proposed site of tiny home village to house homeless

"We need to do everything in our power to mitigate not only the consequences but bring good things to the westside," said Puy.

The council voted seven to zero to move forward with the project.

It's not immediately clear what comes next in the process.