KAYSVILLE — Davis County is trying to find a home for its Code Blue shelter after one in Fruit Heights fell through due to pushback from residents.
According to state law, counties must provide 16 overflow beds on “code blue” nights — or when temperatures drop to 18 degrees Fahrenheit. At a city council meeting in Fruit Heights Wednesday night, Mountain Road Church announced it will no longer be a warming center for those experiencing homelessness due to the conflict it’s created in the community.
“We wish that all of these folks had a place to stay every night, and that we weren’t just talking about warming shelters,” said John Adams with the Kaysville City Council.
The next option for the shelter would be an old emissions building located at 20 N. 600 West in Kaysville, but Adams said the problem is that there are no transportation or health services near that area.
“We care about them. We’re trying to help with the solution; in fact, we’re doing more than just hiding in the shadows. We’re coming out, we’re saying, ‘Here’s a solution that would work.’ It just doesn’t work at the emissions center,” he said.
Adams said they had proposed purchasing a “warming bus” instead of using a building, but the state says that’s unlikely to happen due to a lack of funding.
The other choice for the shelter could be the Clearfield Senior Center, which Adams said would be a more viable option since it’s right next to the Davis County Health Department.
Adams said the Utah State Homeless Services Board is set to meet next week, and hopefully, the decision will be made then.
