SALT LAKE CITY — The idea of having a place to call home is something Miranda Twitchell and others experiencing homelessness dream about.
"If I have a permanent place where I can put my stuff, I know it's going to be safe and I can go home to my stuff I can go to work without stress," Twitchell said.
Salt Lake City is one step closer to making Twitchell's dream a reality.
On Tuesday, the Salt Lake City Council approved holding funding for a potential sanctioned homeless camp in Salt Lake City.
"We've got more homeless people on the streets; we've got illegal camping going on a sanctioned camp will give an alternative," said Rick Graham, the chairman of Solution Utah.
Amanda Deboard, who lived previously unsheltered herself, said this is a chance for those experiencing homelessness to be uplifted into society again.
"They get to have showers and water, running water, and bathrooms and trash, and people can get services to them, and we can find people to get them permanent supportive housing," said Nomad Alliance Executive Director, Kseniya Kniazeva.
The success of sanctioned camps has been demonstrated in other cities.
"Austin and Denver which are comparable peer cities to salt lake have developed really successful models," Soren Simonson, Executive Director of the Jordan River Commission. "We want this to be temporary until a longer-term solution is in place."
The Salt Lake County Health Department and Jim Behunin, also with Solution Utah, say planning will be necessary to make a sanctioned camp safe.
"The real key is to have public health involved; it's essential for protecting against sewage disposal, proper sewage disposal, proper waste management, also drinking water possibilities," said Ron Lund.
"It all depends on how well they're managed. The key is to get a good service provider that can bring some order and rules and make it a safe place for these folks," Behunin said.
The next step for this project is finding a location, which is something some are worried could be complicated.
"Where you locate them, I think will be a real challenge. I think that's been part of the reason they haven't been on the table before. Where do you locate such a place without creating a lot of concern for business or residents?" asked Sorenson.
"We can't just shove them way far in the west side, way far out in Magna," Kniazeva said. "Not in my backyard isn't working anymore. It's happening in our backyard whether we like it or not, but this way we can give people a safe stable place to be."
Salt Lake City Mayor Erin Mendenhall released a statement applauding the city council for their commitment to exploring sanctioned camping in the city.
"I applaud the City Council for their commitment to exploring sanctioned camping in the city," Mendenhall said. "While we continue working with the state on its effort to create a more permanent sanctioned encampment, we can potentially explore some smaller pilot projects in the city."
