Salt Lake City recently opened Odyssey House Stonebridge, a 29-bed residential center located in the Central Ninth district. The facility provides permanent, affordable housng and round-the-clock care for women battling severe mental health conditions.
The $3.3 million four-month transformation of a youth hostel
The creation of Odyssey House Stonebridge was characterized by an unusually rapid execution timeline. according to the report, the project was completed in just four months, utilizing a combination of state, county, and philanthropic funding. The total investment reached over $3.3 million, which included $2 .8 million for the initial purchase of a former youth hostel and an additional $500,000 dedicated to renovations.
This speed of delivery is being highlighted by Salt Lake County officials as a potential blueprint for future social infrastructure projects. By converting an existing structure rather than building from the ground up, Odyssey House Stonebridge was able to qucikly provide stability for residents like Kelly Cockrell, who the report notes faced extreme hardship following the loss of her son. the facility's location in the Central Ninth district was chosen specifically to ensure residents have immediate access to public transit and local trails, facilitating their reintegration into the community.
How the $1.5 million annual operating cost offsets incarceration
Beyond providing a roof, Odyssey House Stonebridge employs a model known as Assertive Community Treatment (ACT). This approach integrates 24/7 support, including clinical therapy, medication management, and peer support, directly into the living environment. As reported , the annual cost to operate the facility is estimated at $1.5 million.
While the operating budget is significant, Adam Cohen of Odyssey House argues that this expenditure is a cost-effective alternative to the traditional cycle of crisis. By providing stable housing and constant clinical oversight, the facility aims to prevent expensive emergency room visits, psychiatric hospitalizations,and incarceration. This shift from institutionalization to community-based support is designed to keep women with severe mental illness integrated into Salt Lake City society rather than cycling through the justice system.
Mayor Jenny Wilson's 1,000-unit target for deeply affordable housing
The opening of Odyssey House Stonebridge is not an isolated project but a piece of a larger municipal strategy. County Mayor Jenny Wilson has established a five-year objective to add 1,000 deeply affordable housing units to the region. This target reflects a growing recognition that housing for those with severe mental illness is a critical, yet chronically underfunded, component of urban stability.
The challenge for Salt Lake City lies in the "deeply affordable" nature of these units, which require intensive support services that standard affordable housing does not. This creates a funding gap that often requires the same blend of public and private capital used for the Stonebridge project. The success of this model suggests that the city is moving toward a more holistic view of homelessness, treating it as a healthcare crisis rather than a simple lack of real estate.
The 60-unit expansion and the persisting mental health waitlist
The immediate success of the 29-bed facility has already triggered plans for expansion. Odyssey House is currently planning a similar facility for men as well as another building later this year, which together would add over 60 additional units to the city's supportive housing inventory.
However, several critical questions remain regarding the scalability of this model. While the expansion is promising, the report admits that these new units will not eliminate the existing waitlists for mental health treatment programs in Salt Lake City. It remains unclear exactly how many more facilities are needed to meet the total demand or if the current philanthropic funding stream can be sustained for the remaining units of Mayor Jenny Wilson's 1,000-unit goal.
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