OGDEN, Utah — A group of community members in Ogden are hoping to find a temporary solution for the homeless community concerned about COVID-19 exposure in the homeless shelter.
During Tuesday night’s Ogden City Council meeting, members of the community are expected to bring up a potential solution which includes temporarily allowing camping outside on the Lantern House property which would be reviewed by the city council weekly.
In a Facebook post, community activist Angel Castillo asked for the community to speak during public comment Tuesday.
“Ask for city council to allow a TEMPORARY resolution allowing camping AT Lantern House.” wrote Castillo.
“Nobody wants a permanent encampment (people want actual housing), but here we are and we need to manage this situation until people can safely stay IN Lantern House.”
As part of the proposed plan, the homeless encampment would need to be on the Lantern House’s property, include porta-potties and a hand washing station, increased emptying of trash and police presence, Castillo said. This would also be temporary, she emphasized.
The plan would need to be “renewed by city council each week until Lantern House has no active COVID cases and an alternative quarantine location with medical staff is arranged for Lantern House COVID-positive clients,” she said.
The homeless issue is being looked at by many different leaders in the Ogden area, a spokesperson for the city said.
In December, a homeless encampment cleanup near the Lantern House took place.
It wasn’t pretty to watch, one homeless man said to FOX13.
“They just came through and cleaned them all up again and where do you want these people to go?” he said.