The Road Home Building In Downtown Salt Lake City Sold To State
Sep 25, 2018, 5:37 PM | Updated: 9:28 pm
SALT LAKE CITY, Utah – Life on the streets has never been easy.
Terri Courtright knows that about as well as anyone.
“It’s just so hard,” she said while sitting on a bench outside The Road Home homeless shelter in downtown Salt Lake City. “You have to start dumpster diving because you’re starving.”
That’s why she is grateful The Road Home exists.
It gives her a place to stay and keeps her safe.
“Because I don’t have to sleep in a gutter. I don’t have to fend in a dumpster. They give you positive support when you get the right people,” said Courtright.
She’s not alone.
The Road Home’s building on Rio Grande Street has been a haven for those who have found themselves homeless for whatever reason since 1988.
However, that’s changing next year.
During a news conference Tuesday afternoon near The Road Home, Utah’s Department of Workforce Services announced the building is being sold to the state of Utah.
Currently, the group Shelter the Homeless owns the building, but agreed to sell it to the state for 4-million dollars.
“It’s a win, win, win,” said Pamela Atkinson during the press conference.
Atkinson has been an advocate for the homeless for several years and agrees it’s time to move on.
“The Road Home as it is now, it’s 30 years old it’s a little dark, it gets crowded at times, and even though they have great staff, it’s not a building that’s conducive to healing. And that’s what we want to do with homeless friends is heal because they have hope,” said Atkinson.
The 4-million dollars will now go towards building three, smaller shelters that will be spread throughout the area.
Lt. Governor Spencer Cox says the current building has to be closed by June of next year.
“What we need now over the next eight, nine months as we get closer to that is working with the individuals who will be moving from The Road Home to the new resource centers,” said Lt. Gov. Cox.
Lt. Gov. Cox also mentioned the Utah Department of Heritage and Arts could use a bigger building, but as of right now, there are no solid plans on what to do with the current Road Home building.
Courtright hopes she’s not one of those who will move to the new homeless centers.
For one very good reason.
“Oh, big time. That’s my dream. I just want my own home,” she said with a smile.
