A Sunrise for Utah's Homeless

None by KCPW

(KCPW News) The latest experiment in Utah's effort to end chronic homelessness opened its doors Friday. Sunrise Apartments in Salt Lake City will offer housing to 100 homeless people who agree to drug treatment and case management. The city's Redevelopment Agency loaned $700,000 to the project because Councilman Eric Jergensen says the investment was a "no-brainer."

"The cost of having the chronic homeless constantly in and out of services by the city, the police, the fire department, the Road Home Shelter . . . that is more expensive that providing housing in a place like this," notes Jergensen.

Sunrise Apartments is part of the State's 10-year plan to end chronic homelessness and follows a national trend known as "Housing First." The concept reinforced by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, holds that permanent, supporting housing can help solve the issues of Utah's chronically homeless individuals. Residents - many of whom are veterans - will be required to participate in counseling, job training and other services designed to break their homeless cycle.

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