We can end unsheltered homelessness within five years in Utah

The Problem;  The number of people experiencing unsheltered homelessness has been steadily growing in Utah

• The number of people found outside during our annual January point in time count during the years 2015-2017 was 247 people.  
• For the years 2020-2022 the average was 910 people.

Rent increases are the biggest cause of the problem:  

• In 2015 HUD defined the Fair Market Rent for a two bedroom apartment in Salt Lake County as $901 per month.
• HUD recently announced that in 2023 it will define the Fair Market Rent for a two bedroom apartment in Salt Lake County as $1,504.

Children are experiencing unsheltered homelessness in Utah

• The Point in Time Count from January of this year found 23 people from families that included children that were unsheltered.
• This summer the Midvale Family Resource Center did not have  enough beds or motel vouchers to give all families with children a place indoors to sleep,  

Investments made this year should begin to reduce unsheltered homelessness in Utah

• This year the Utah Legislature appropriated $55 million to produce housing units to reduce homelessness.
• This month the Utah Homelessness Council approved a plan to use that funding to produce 1,078 housing units.

A $189 million package of investments discussed at the September 13, 2022 meeting of the Utah Commission on Housing Affordability would make it possible to eliminate unsheltered homelessness in Utah within five years.  The proposed funding packaged includes these elements:

• $150 million in one time money to go into the fund that the state Homelessness Council just used to award $55 million in grants for deeply targeted housing.
• $15 million in ongoing funding to help pay the operating costs of new permanent supportive housing projects.
• $15 million in new ongoing funding to the Olene Walker Loan funding to produce more new affordable units each year.
• A $9 million per year boost to the state low income housing tax credit which would allow the state to provide $10 million worth of funding to nine more projects per year. to further increase production of affordable units.

If you believe Utah should work to ensure no one in our state is forced to sleep outside because they do not have a home contact your legislators and let them know.  If you do not know your legislators, or would like to learn more about this issue, contact Bill Tibbitts at Crossroads Urban Center, bill@crossroadsurbancenter.org