West Valley residents protest housing project for homeless

West Valley City residents opposed to the creation of a senior housing facility for the chronically homeless in their neighborhood continued their protest at a Salt Lake County Housing Authority meeting Wednesday morning.

More than 40 residents, including school-age children, crowded the hall of the newly completed Grace Mary Manor in South Salt Lake to object to the housing authority's plans to build the Kelly Benson Apartments in West Valley City. The apartments are scheduled to be built on 3120 S. 3600 West.

"This facility brings a lot of risk," said West Valley City resident Shuree Chestnut, who brought her four children to the meeting to help sway the housing authority's opinion.

The apartment complex is in the path of the "safe route" that neighborhood children use to walk to school, but housing authority executive director Kerry Bate says it's unlikely the facility will be changing locations.

The housing authority broke ground on the site last year, but construction has stalled since November.