A five-story building at 44 N. 1000 West in Salt Lake City has begun welcoming residents who spent years without a stable place to sleep. KWB Apartments, a 67-unit permanent supportive housing complex, took in its first two residents this week, offering on-site mental health care, recovery support and case management alongside a permanent lease.
According to KSL News, the $26 million project was funded through a mix of public and private money and is designed to serve people experiencing long-term homelessness alongside serious mental health conditions. The five-story building includes one- and two-bedroom apartments along with community amenities, according to a LinkedIn post from First Step House, the nonprofit behind the project. The building was formerly known as 44 North, the same post notes.
Erik Enriquez, program manager at KWB Apartments, is overseeing the property as more residents move in, per KSL's reporting. First Step House partnered with Housing Connect on the project, and the nonprofit says it plans to open several additional supportive housing projects in the future, according to the same report.
Most Residents Haven't Had a Stable Home in Years
For the people moving into KWB Apartments, the shift is dramatic. First Step House says on LinkedIn that the complex will provide “67 new homes for adults with serious mental illness, finally leaving long-term homelessness behind,” adding that for most incoming residents, “it's the first stable, permanent place they've had in years.”
Shawn McMillen said supportive housing can help people remain housed long-term, according to KSL. The station also reported that individuals with serious mental health conditions who enter supportive housing with wraparound services remain housed indefinitely at rates of 90 to 95 percent. That figure tracks with broader national data: the National Alliance to End Homelessness reports that permanent supportive housing can achieve a one-year retention rate of up to 98 percent, and that housed individuals are less likely to rely on emergency services than people who remain homeless — one study found average savings of $31,545 per person housed over two years on emergency-service costs alone.
A Model Built Around Case Management and On-Site Care
First Step House describes its broader housing model as combining safe, affordable apartments with on-site services for people living with serious mental illness, substance use disorders or disabilities, according to the organization's housing program page. The nonprofit already provides case management for numerous deeply affordable apartment units throughout Salt Lake County, the same page states.
KWB Apartments is also listed among 2026 projects by Navigate CM & Development, which describes it as a 67-unit, 9% Low-Income Housing Tax Credit permanent supportive housing development. The project's approach reflects the Housing First model, which prioritizes moving people experiencing homelessness into permanent housing before addressing other challenges, per the National Alliance to End Homelessness.
As the building fills, First Step House has also been preparing units for new arrivals in a more literal sense. In a separate LinkedIn post, the nonprofit said Mary Crafts and the First Step Forward Committee were placing welcome kits — including dishes, towels, bedding and cleaning supplies — in every unit, adding that donated household items are currently the organization's biggest need.
