Shelter the Homeless, the nonprofit organization selected to oversee the new homeless resource centers being built in the Salt Lake City area, has announced that the operators for the centers have been chosen. The facilities are scheduled to open in June of next year.
Catholic Community Services (CCS) of Utah will operate the 200-bed men and women resource center located at 275 Paramount Ave., according to a release from Shelter the Homeless. Volunteers of America Utah will operate the 200-bed women shelter located at 131 E. 700 S. and The Road Home will operate the 300-bed men's shelter located at 3380 S. 1000 W. in South Salt Lake.
“Selecting the operators is a critical next step in a series of system-wide changes to the homeless services delivery system,” said Harris Simmons, board president of Shelter the Homeless. “With the operators selected, we are ready to move forward working with the state, county and community partners in planning the transition.”
Contracts will be finalized over the coming weeks, Simmons said, allowing for the next step in building out the transition plan in moving from the downtown shelter to the new resource center model. Shelter the Homeless will own the land and facilities and work closely with each of the operators to ensure the centers are working to minimize homelessness in Salt Lake County.
“Catholic Community Services of Utah feels it is a great privilege to have served Utah’s homeless population for the past 51 years,” said Matt Melville, CCS homeless services director. “We are honored to have been selected to operate one of the new Homeless Resource Centers and are excited for this new joint venture with Shelter the Homeless and the other providers. We look forward to working on new solutions to help those experiencing homelessness reach self-sufficiency, including access to housing and job training. CCS will continue to serve all those most in need in our community, regardless of their circumstance.
Kathy Bray, Volunteers of America’s Utah president and CEO, said, “It is honor for Volunteers of America Utah to continue supporting people experiencing homelessness, addiction and mental illness along the Wasatch Front. At the new resource center with our dedicated staff and with the support of volunteers, we will provide a bridge to self-reliance and health for vulnerable women exiting homelessness. We look forward to working out the details in the contract and supporting our community with this new direction.”
“Our team is grateful for this opportunity,” said Matt Minkevitch, The Road Home executive director. “We are honored to work beside Shelter the Homeless and our fellow partners in this new collaboration. We are ready for this next chapter and committed to ensuring the center will be a place where people can step out of homelessness and back into the community. This change to the new resource center model presents a great deal of opportunity for those experiencing homelessness to get better services and support.”