Ogden housing officials mull 25-unit apartment building for those leaving foster care

OGDEN — A 25-unit apartment building geared to those leaving foster care is in the works in Ogden, providing a new housing option for a vulnerable population that frequently has a limited support network.

The facility "is meant to help youth aging out of foster care to be able to grasp all the skills of life," said Joe Simpson, deputy planning manager for Ogden. The project is meant as long-term housing, not transitional housing, he said.

As Jennie Sheperd sees it, the initiative, spearheaded by the Housing Authority of Ogden, would represent a step forward in addressing the needs of those leaving foster care. She serves as director of foster parent recruitment for Utah Foster Care, a nonprofit organization that advocates for the population.

"Honestly, something on this scale is pretty unique. Here in Utah, we've seen organizations that get together and tackle this problem, kind of on a smaller scale," she said. There are scattered one-unit projects in the state geared to people leaving foster care, she said, thus a proposal with multiple units "is exciting and fantastic."

The project has been a focus of discussion by city officials since at least last October, and the Ogden City Council on Tuesday unanimously approved a rezone of the land where the facility would be built, which allows for the 25 one-bedroom units envisioned. The four-story facility would be built in an older Ogden neighborhood on a vacant 0.5-acre plot at 211 Patterson Street, adjacent to a 56-unit housing authority project to the south, Solace Apartments.

"We believe this development will not only add value to the existing neighborhood by developing the vacant land at 211 Patterson Street but also help revitalize the neighborhood," Ogden planning officials said in a "fact sheet" on the proposal from last October.

Markita Wheeler, a housing authority official, told council members at Tuesday's meeting that tenants wouldn't face a time limit on how long they can remain in the facility, which would offer subsidized rent based on need. The aim, though, would be to help them stabilize their situation so they can move to market rate housing. "The goal is to get them in, get their needs met and get them out as quickly as we can with the tools they need to be successful," she said.

Officials Tuesday didn't discuss the project cost or timeline, and reps from the housing authority didn't respond to queries seeking comment.

'Neighborhood concerns'

Sheperd said those leaving foster care, typically between the ages of 18 and 21, can face a rocky road, and the sort of subsidized housing proposed is needed.

"It's not unusual for youth aging out of foster care to go through such a period of instability and insecurity that they end up doing things like what we call couch surfing," she said. "They don't have a secure, stable place, and they just kind of float here and there and stay at different places, with friends, maybe with extended family members who don't have a whole bedroom for them to stay in."

The proposal prompted some "neighborhood concerns," Tim Price, the housing authority executive director said in a Jan. 27 letter to Mayor Ben Nadolski on the issue. Multiple measures, though, are planned to assuage potential worries.

The building would be staffed around the clock, and all visitors would have to sign in on arrival and sign out on leaving, among other things. Management would have a "zero tolerance" policy toward illicit drugs, including marijuana, and surveillance cameras would be placed around the building.

"Management is willing to be actively engaged and collaborate with residents and local organizations to help address the current needs of the neighborhood and help resolve concerns," reads Price's letter.

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