Given that most neighbors and community members support this well-thought-out project that serves some of our most vulnerable residents, this should be an easy “yes” vote for the council. That has proven not to be the case, however, as last Tuesday the council postponed the vote in an effort for city administration to find another location for the facility. Some council members demonstrated outright hostility toward the location and the project. The most prominent example is Councilmember Hyer, who, during his motion to table the vote, wanted to put on the record that this was “not the right location.” He further accused Beedles and the Weber Housing Authority of not working in good faith with the administration because WHA held a community open house at the facility to educate residents, council members and the media about the project.

The mayor and at least a portion of the council are ostensibly bristling only at the location of this project, near 23rd and Madison, which begs the question, “Why not here?” Why not use an existing building, the Aspen Care Facility, that is ideally suited for residents and community programming? Weber Housing Authority can renovate it at a fraction of the cost of building a new facility. Why not put the facility within walking distance of Midtown Community Health Center, where residents can get their health care needs met? Why not put the facility within walking distance of Weber Human Services, where residents can get mental health treatment, substance use disorder treatment and other services?

Weber Housing Authority vetted several other locations for this program, including:

• Comfort Suites (2250 S. 1200 West, West Haven).
• Big Z Motel (1123 W. 2150 South, West Haven).
• Sleep Inn (1155 S. 1700 West, Marriott-Slaterville).
• Comfort Inn (1776 W. 2550 North, Farr West).
• Days Inn (3306 Washington Blvd., Ogden).
• Motel 6 (1206 W. 2100 South, West Haven).
• Crestwood Care Center (3665 Brinker Ave., Ogden).

None met the program’s needs like the Aspen Care Facility. Why is Ogden City spending taxpayer dollars to hire a broker to find another location when Weber Housing Authority has already done that work?

Opposing council members’ and the mayor’s primary objection to the current proposed location is a supposed concern about concentrating poverty in downtown Ogden. The Ogden Housing Authority, however, recently opened Solace Apartments at 31st and Lincoln, a housing project designed to house a different demographic of housing-insecure people. That project is in an area with a much higher concentration of poverty, and the council and the mayor supported it. Their approval of the Solace Apartments belies the council’s and mayor’s primary objection. And despite their continued protestations, no one has provided compelling justification for why the Aspen Care Facility is the wrong location for this project.

Ogden is different. When our nearby city’s residents showed up in large numbers to reject homeless services in their communities, Ogden residents did the opposite, loudly proclaiming their support for such services. Ogden can be proud of that. We can also be proud of the homeless services Ogden already provides, and we should continue that legacy of service by approving this well-thought-out project that will be of generational importance to a group of people otherwise unhoused.

Kevin Lundell is the former vice chair of the Ogden City Diversity Commission. He is an Ogden resident, community advocate, doctor of chiropractic, and owner of Lundell Chiropractic and Roy Community Fitness.