Crossroads Urban Center
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  • Home
  • About
    • Our Board Members
    • Financial Reports
    • Contact
  • What We Do
    • Who We Serve
    • Emergency Food Pantries
    • Crossroads Thrift Store
    • Fighting Poverty >
      • Reports on Child Homelessness
      • Petition to Senator Romney
      • CORC
      • Powerful Moms Who Care
      • Poplar Grove Neighborhood Alliance
  • You Can Help!
    • Donate
    • Help as you shop
    • Volunteer Options
  • News

Twenty years of leadership in our food pantry

11/10/2020

 
Since Crossroads Urban Center was founded in 1966 only a handful of people have served as director for our food pantry.  The third of those people, Rachel Fishbein, will be retiring at the end of this year after providing solid leadership for twenty years.  We will miss her commitment, consistency and compassion.


Our Thanksgiving Turkey Give Away will be different this year

11/10/2020

 
We are moving our annual Thanksgiving Turkey Giveaway outdoors this year.  The COVID-19 pandemic has slowed down the economy and increased unemployment, uncertainty and the number of families that need help this holiday season.  We are very grateful that hundreds of volunteers and other supporters have stepped up again this year to help serve some of those families at our annual Thanksgiving Food Giveaway.  

To help reduce spread of COVID-19 we are holding the entire Giveaway outdoors, at the Smith's Ballpark Parking Lot located at the corner of 1300 South and West Temple.  Families that are able to drive to the Giveaway will pull into the parking lot on West Temple at Paxton Avenue and have a turkey and sides placed into the trunk of the their cars.   This should allow us to serve up to 3,500 families while maintaining social distancing.

You can donate to help the Giveaway at Harmons

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​CROSSROADS URBAN CENTER COMMENTS TO THE CITY COUNCIL ON THE PROPOSED RMF-30 ZONING AMENDMENT

10/12/2020

 
​CROSSROADS URBAN CENTER COMMENTS TO THE CITY COUNCIL 
ON THE PROPOSED RMF-30 ZONING AMENDMENT – October 2020
 
Position Statement:
Crossroads Urban Center believes that the proposed RMF-30 zoning text amendment will spur the development of expensive new housing at the cost of existing, often “naturally occurring affordable housing (NOAH).” We are also concerned that approval at this time will relieve the pressure to require and incentivize inclusion of affordability in new housing development.
We are skeptical of claims that increasing housing density will increase housing affordability, or that increased housing supply will exert significant downward pressure on price appreciation.  We have witnessed neither in this market. The “filtering” effect of higher income households into neighborhoods does not guarantee increased affordability, and may actually encourage further gentrification of neighborhoods.
Crossroads Urban Center supports actions to reduce barriers to housing density and affordability, as well as the stated goal of the zoning text amendment to “increase diversity of housing types for all income levels throughout the city.”  We support the sections of the text amendment that encourage diversity of housing types, and  also support the September 25th changes made to the lot area requirements in response to public comments. 
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Recommendations:
We note that the City acknowledges that “removing zoning barriers to housing development is a small piece of the overall housing affordability puzzle and should be implemented in conjunction with other affordability programs in order to make the most meaningful impact.” See: http://www.slcdocs.com/Planning/Planning%20Commission/2019/00313Memo.pdf
  1. The approval of the Zoning Text Amendment should be done in conjunction and concurrent with the proposed Affordable Housing Overlay zoning text amendments being drafted by Planning staff.  It is our opinion that there is no urgency to leapfrog the RMF-30 amendment over the Affordable Housing Overlay amendment.  This can be done either by delaying further consideration of the RMF-30 Zoning Text Amendment by the City Council until the overlay amendment is ready for approval or to delay the implementation date of the RMF-30 Zoning Text Amendment until the Affordable Housing Overlay Amendment is enacted.
  2. The approval of the Zoning Text Amendment should not take effect until the City has considered and enacted an updated, meaningful housing demolition mitigation or “No Net Loss” ordinance.  
 
Specific Policy Examples:
  • No Net Loss:  Add affordable housing preservation regulations to the city demolition ordinance.  A developer who destroys housing units has to attach an affordable housing preservation plan to their proposal documenting how many of the units were affordable to households at 60% and 30% of area median income and either include at least the same number of affordable units or place $10,000 per lost unit into a displacement fund and $100,000 per unit into the housing trust fund. Provisions should be made to allow the trust fund contribution to be made in the form of land that can be developed elsewhere, as well as units in other properties that can be made affordable instead.
 
  • For the Affordable Housing Overlay:  Make inclusionary zoning the default.  If a developer wants to build a project where 20% of the units are not affordable to households at 60% of AMI or less, then they have to apply for a zoning variance after meeting with city housing officials to discuss ways the city can help them to include affordable units.
 
Conclusion:
The City has failed to address this problem for years, and we are concerned that making major changes to the zoning code without addressing mitigation at the same time will result in more housing losses, lost NOAH, and lost opportunities to offset those losses through inclusionary requirements or in lieu fees.
Taking a bit more time now to coordinate the adoption of re-zoning and the affordable housing overlay proposals will mean better and more meaningful results for all city residents.

Map of RMF-30 Zoning Districts Citywide

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Map of RMF 30 Districts in Central City / East Central Neighborhoods

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​Map of RMF-30 Zoning Districts in the Sugar House Neighborhood

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Reports on child homelessness in Salt Lake and Weber Counties to be released in September

8/31/2020

 
How many children become homeless each year? How long do they remain homeless? What are the long term impacts of homelessness on children? What can be done to help reduce the number of nights children spend sleeping in shelters?

We will be answering these questions and more when Crossroads Urban Center releases its first ever reports on child homelessness in Salt Lake County and Weber Counties and the State of Utah as a whole.  We will be releasing the report for Salt Lake County on  September 23rd at 11 AM.  We will release the report for Weber County the next day, September 24th, at 11 AM, and the report for the entire state on the day after that at the same time.

If you are interested in being part of the release of one or more of these reports you can watch the stream on Facebook Live on the Crossroads Urban Center Facebook Page.
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On great way to learn more about homelessness in general and child homelessness in particular, is to watch the following series of conversations on housing and homelessness that we put together during the months of July and August.
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We are accepting applications for a Pantry/Thrift Store Aide until noon on September 8th

8/28/2020

 
PANTRY/THRIFT STORE AIDE
 
Crossroads Urban Center, a private, nonprofit agency, employs a Pantry/Thrift Store Aide to work with other staff and volunteers in our Food Pantries and free/low cost Thrift Store. This position is directly responsible to the Westside Pantry Manager and is also supervised by the Thrift Store Manager and Emergency Services Director as needed.
 
 
QUALIFICATIONS
 
- Knowledge of general procedures in an emergency food pantry and/or thrift store and experience working in this type of environment.
- Ability to work under pressure.
- Ability to do heavy lifting (50 pound boxes).
- Ability to take direction and follow through on assigned tasks.
- Ability and experience working with low income and homeless people.
- Basic computer literacy.
- Valid driver’s license and good driving record.
- Fluent Spanish speaker preferred. 
 
JOB DESCRIPTION
 
- Work in the emergency food pantries as needed stocking, bagging groceries, picking up food donations, and conducting intake interviews.
- Work in the Thrift Store as needed stocking shelves and racks, keeping the sales area clean and straightened up, and sorting and receiving donations.
- Help maintain electronic client database.
- Unload trucks and assist donors contributing food and other donations.
- Greet visitors, manage waiting room traffic, and answer phone calls.
- Dispense basic information and referrals as appropriate.
- Photocopying and light clerical duties.
- Routine maintenance/clean-up of building as needed.
- Miscellaneous duties as assigned by the Emergency Services Director, the Westside Pantry Director, or the Thrift Store Manager.
 
WAGE & BENEFITS:  Part-time, hourly position. Pro-rated health benefits, vacation and sick leave. This is a permanent position.
 
TO APPLY:  Resume by 12 noon on September 8th to Glenn Bailey, Crossroads Urban Center, 347 S. 400 East, SLC, 84111, glenn@crossroadsurbancenter.org.
 
 
Crossroads Urban Center is an Equal Opportunity Employer
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EMERGENCY FOOD PANTRY
347 South 400 East
Salt Lake City, UT  84111
801-364-7765
Monday – Friday 
9:00 AM – 3:00 PM
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CROSSROADS THRIFT STORE
1385 West Indiana Avenue
Salt Lake City, UT  84104
801-359-8837
Tues.– Friday :  12:00 PM - 5:00 PM
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CROSSROADS WESTSIDE FOOD PANTRY
1358 West Indiana Avenue
Salt Lake City, UT  84104
801-935-4079
Tues & Thurs: 9AM - 2PM
Food only (no emergency services)
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 Crossroads Urban Center
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