The innovative Medically Vulnerable People Facility located on a main artery of Sandy City celebrated its first year at the end of February.

What was once a bit of a controversial topic in the city for fear of how it could strain local law enforcement, Councilmember Cyndi Sharkey said during a city council meeting that she is “impressed with the improvements” made in the last year.

Mayor Monica Zoltanski said the building now has a “homey, lived-in feel.”

“Has it been easy? No,” she said. “Has it been worth it? Yes.”

The facility, built as a partnership between several nonprofits including Shelter the Homeless, Fourth Street Clinic and the Road Home, serves as a safe place for those experiencing homelessness and who are medically vulnerable either due to age or health.

Over the course of the first year, 388 individuals were served who ranged in age from 31 to 86 years old. Because of the program, 26 individuals were moved to permanent housing or long-term care facilities. In addition to the housing of individuals, 81,560 hot meals were served.

Jeniece Olsen of Fourth Street Clinic said “2024 was a year of programmatic change.”

In the first year, several changes and additions created an even better place for those staying there and for the surrounding neighbors.

On the medical side, a provider was added onsite to meet with patients, giving them access to care two days a week; a pharmacist was also added to the staff that addresses diabetic management situations and helps with medication reconciliation; a lab was added for testing onsite; and EMT hours were extended to cover from 6 a.m. to 12 a.m. which reduced dangerous incidences by 19%.

Externally, there was an eight-foot wall constructed to expand exterior courtyard space, new asphalt, ADA stalls and mulch, along with a whole new configuration for smoother in-and-out flow for security at the entrance to the facility.

Other interior additions included an anti-slip surface, a heating/cooling unit installed in the communal space, directional signage and additional security cameras.

“Throughout the year we’ve adjusted and made improvements,”  Hopkins said. “We have a year under our belt. There’s been so much ground covered and people helped.”

Goals for 2025 include stabilizing staffing, increasing engagement in behavioral health services and continuing to refine and add to the medical model established in the first year.