At the very end of 2024, the first six residents of Salt Lake City’s Other Side Village moved into their new houses. 

“I feel awesome,” one resident, Paul Eric Fairburn, told the Salt Lake Tribune. “It’s been a lot of time, two years in the making…I’m glad I took the time to do this.” 

In the coming years, the tiny home community plans to eventually house 430 people — all of whom were previously homeless. 

The tiny home village is an extension of The Other Side Academy: a nonprofit where people who are homeless, living with substance use disorder, or have been incarcerated can “change their lives, free of charge” through transitional housing, counseling, and classes. 

Born out of a need to give their clients permanent affordable and supportive housing, The Other Side Village broke ground over two years ago. 

But the developers hit snags along the way, as they struggled to source materials and adapt to labor shortages. 

“It’s been kind of grinding at times,” Fairburn said of the long-promised community. “It’s been a good experience overall.”

The first phase of construction includes 60 tiny homes — about 350 square feet each — with plans to build another 200 in 2026. 

In a press release for the official unveiling, Salt Lake City mayor Erin Mendenhall said that the village would serve as a “beacon of hope and healing” for the community. 

“I want to express my sincere gratitude to The Other Side staff, who are exceptional because of the community and collaboration they foster,” Mendenhall said. 

The Other Side Village offers affordable housing (between $250 and $500 in rent each month) for residents who have experienced homelessness for more than 12 months and have one or more disabilities. 

They also must make less than 30% of the area’s median income, live in Utah for at least a year, and be sober. 

Prior to moving into their approved home, prospective residents have to enroll in a six-month prep school program — a school that 15 people are currently enrolled in. 

These extra steps ensure that every neighbor in the Other Side Village is set up for success. And that includes long-term employment at a local business right around the corner — Other Side Donuts. 

The Other Side Donuts funnels 100% of its profits directly to the Other Side Village to support its ongoing operations. And that generosity is baked into the very tagline of the store: “You deserve a donut.” 

The donut shop provides “meaningful work for residents” and helps build “a positive relationship” between them and their neighbors, according to their website, but it also offers a tasty range of delicious pastries.

“Everything from a strawberry cheesecake, all the way up to pina colada key lime,” Gideon Nieman, a resident at the Other Side Village who works at the shop, told FOX 13 Salt Lake City. 

His personal favorite? A blue and pink concoction called “The Troll.”

“It's got cotton candy on it and I love those,” Nieman shared.

The past year has been life-altering for residents like Nieman. Before he moved into the Other Side Village and began working behind the donut shop counter, Nieman had been homeless for two years. 

“The Other Side Village is all about: you have to want to change,” Nieman said. “It's not a force thing, so I decided to make that change, and today we reap the rewards of the change.” 

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Header image via The Other Side Village / The Other Side Donuts