At yesterday's meeting of the Utah Homelessness Council it was announced that the state office office of homeless services had approved Salt Lake County's plan for getting unsheltered people indoors during winter months this year. Here are the core elements of that plan:
A. Overflow Shelter Beds:
B. Additional beds at ongoing facilities that are hoped will come on-line in time to meet overflow needs this winter:
A. Overflow Shelter Beds:
- 65 beds - St Vincent de Paul - 7am-7pm, while just shelter will be provided at the facility, during the day, food and other basic needs are offered at this facility
- 175 beds - HRC flex - 24 hours • 170 beds - new facility identified by task force - 24 hours, will provide food and other basic needs
B. Additional beds at ongoing facilities that are hoped will come on-line in time to meet overflow needs this winter:
- 165 beds - MVP - for aging and medically vulnerable individuals - while not specifically part of the winter plan, this resource will be coming on line during the same time period and will help address the need for beds, although not 1:1
- 50 beds - VOA detox expansion
| If all of these facilities are able to open by November 1, 2023, then the system will have the capacity to move 600 people indoors before it is likely to begin snowing. That would be the biggest effort to bring people indoors during winter months in the history of Salt Lake County. Unfortunately, it is likely that there will still not be enough beds for everyone sleeping outside. There are also people who will choose to sleep in their cars rather than in a room with several strangers except for on the coldest nights and so it is encouraging that the plan also includes funding for "Code Blue" overflow shelter at three facilities in Salt Lake County, including First United Methodist Church. We will be honoring First United Methodist Church, and the other members of the Second and Second Coalition, with a "Hellraiser of the Year" award at our annual Poverty Summit on August 26. The Second and Second Coalition hosted movie nights at First United Methodist Church on extra cold nights this past winter and helped spur the Utah Legislature to pass a bill requiring counties in Utah to develop plans for getting people indoors and saving lives during winter months, We are so pleased that our historic partners at First United Methodist Church have committed to open their doors again on the coldest winter nights and provide shelter to 85 people. We are also pleased that the County has come out with its most ambitious plan for getting people indoors during the winter ever, and that the plan is being finalized now and not in January, like it was in some recent years. Until our state and county have an adequate number of deeply affordable housing units the need for homeless shelters and overflow shelter will be acute every single winter. |   |
