Salt Lake City is about to have its first sanctioned homeless camp.
Miniature shelters that will house up to 50 people this winter are being installed at the Redevelopment Agency site in the Utah capital.
State homelessness coordinator Wayne Niederhauser described the 27 units as no-frills tiny houses and said he wanted to offer the homeless something more livable than a tent.
“The main concern that we’ve had is safety and security for those who will be using these facilities,” he told the Salt Lake City Tribune.
“We just didn’t feel tents meet that standard long term.”
Each little shelter resembles a pod of about 150 square feet with a dividing wall so two people can live in it.
The pods include insulation, heating and cooling units, fold-up beds and tables with seating.
The project cost about $640,000 in all.
The pods don’t have bathrooms; city officials plan to place toilets on site and showers will be available nearby.
Niederhauser hopes the site will be operational by mid-December.
Private security will monitor the site until an official site manager is chosen.