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Homelessness in Utah

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Utah's homeless service clients increase 11 percent in two years, state report shows. Still, McAdams said, "if you say [the state's data is] roughly in the right ballpark, then we've seen an increase. I think that would be reaffirmed by the anecdotal experience of all of us. " In 2016 alone, people using state- and federally funded emergency shelters and transitional housing services jumped 5 percent to 13,614 — a figure that may increase when some apparently unreported homeless youth figures are added to the total.

Confidentiality laws preclude domestic violence-related service providers from using the state's database, while wholly private providers are not required to do so. Tamera Kohler, assistant director of housing and community development for the Utah Department of Workforce Services, readily acknowledged that the available data is "squishy" and estimated that the database roster includes about 85 percent of those experiencing homelessness. "What we're trying to do is get the best representation we have year over year, knowing that it's incomplete," she said. West Valley, South Salt Lake under consideration for third homeless resource center. SALT LAKE CITY — Salt Lake County on Friday announced five sites under consideration for a third homeless resource center — leaving city leaders "shocked," "concerned" and frustrated with the limited time for public process before a final site is chosen in less than 20 days.

Three of the proposed sites are in West Valley City near the Glendale Golf Course. Two are in South Salt Lake, with one site near James Madison Park and another near the Oxbow jail. The sites are: 1820 W. Neither West Valley City Mayor Ron Bigelow nor South Salt Lake Mayor Cherie Wood were happy with the site proposals — both worried about how a homeless resource center would impact their communities. "We're shocked and concerned," Wood said, worried that a shelter would place a social and financial strain on South Salt Lake — a city of 24,000 people that already serves a variety of tax-exempt social services facilities.

“We think they have been way too hasty,” he said. Deliberation begins Local concerns. Plenty of contentious issues remain for Utah's homeless service model. SALT LAKE CITY — The three sites for the new homeless resource centers may now be set in stone, but that doesn't mean it's smooth sailing for county and city leaders from here on out.

Plenty of other contentious issues still need to be ironed out before Utah's homeless service model is revamped — a discussion expected to continue in Salt Lake County's Collective Impact on Homelessness Steering Committee's meeting Wednesday. Among the lingering questions: • Which homeless populations will be housed where? • What will those populations be — single men, women, children, families, working men, working women? • And what about the population that may or may not fit into the new homeless resource centers — facilities that are meant to be front doors to prevention, treatment and housing services rather than emergency shelter? Those individuals may lead to the need of an additional overflow shelter, county leaders say, though that conversation still needs to be had.

"St. 3 comments on this story. Man understands plight of homeless and says somebody has to speak up. SALT LAKE CITY — While more than 700 people packed a public meeting in Draper Wednesday to loudly protest the idea of a homeless resource center in their city, one man took the stage to plead for understanding for people facing homelessness. He was booed off the stage. On Thursday, Lawrence — who declined to give his last name out of fear he would be kicked out of the commercial lot in Salt Lake County where he lives in a shipping trailer he owns — continued his effort to give a voice for people struggling to make ends meet. He has spent time living in a shelter, which is why he wanted to attend the Wednesday open house, where Draper Mayor Troy Walker and Salt Lake County Mayor Ben McAdams listened to angry residents for four hours before Walker rescinded an offer to consider his city for the homeless center.

Lawrence says he's not a poster child for the homeless, but he understands the plight of many that are, and he says somebody has to speak up. "I have a toaster oven. Draper pulls shelter sites after hundreds protest, boo homeless man. The action came after residents threatened Walker's impeachment, promised a lawsuit and portended opposition to the mayor's potential November re-election.

Residents packed an open house in the auditorium of Draper Park Middle School on Wednesday night to protest Walker's offer of sites at the soon-to-be-relocated Utah State Prison and at 15001 Minuteman Drive. The group, which poured out the door of the school's 700-person-capacity auditorium, booed as Lawrence Horman called for compassion for homeless residents. Horman told the group he was homeless. He lives in an orange shipping trailer with electricity from a nearby power pole on a commercial lot, he told The Tribune.

The audience booed him as he called for patience. "We'll help ourselves if you give us a place to start from," Horman told The Salt Lake Tribune after walking off the stage. They stood and applauded as Draper residents and those from nearby Bluffdale questioned the motives of Walker, a Utah Transit Authority board member. 35 Ways to Help the Homeless. By completing this transaction, I agree to the following terms and conditions ("Terms"): I understand that my donation is to JustGive, a Donor Advised Fund (DAF), which is a 501(c)(3) charitable organization that processes donations and disburses funds to charities based on donor recommendations. My statement will read "JustGive" and not the recommended charity since my donation is to JustGive's DAF.

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