Sean Ledesma

Professor Szalay

English 2010

15 November 2021

Housing the Homeless

The homeless community in Utah is frequently misunderstood and mistreated. If you’ve

ever been to downtown Salt Lake City, chances are you have seen some of them, often sitting

under shelters and bridges, wrapped in tattered clothing. You may even know someone who is or

has experienced homelessness. These people, in many cases through no fault of their own, have

lost their housing. Some may have pre-existing mental or physical health challenges that prevent

them from participating in our complex society completely, others may have grown a

dependence on narcotics or other substances. Many have simply lost the ability to afford housing

in Salt Lake Valley’s intense market, or were laid-off due to the COVID-19 pandemic. This does

not mean that they are any less human, or any less deserving of a second chance. In our time,

eliminating homelessness is not out of reach. Placing homeless people who meet strict

requirements into temporary housing is currently the most effective option available, but it

depends entirely on our support.

In 2005, then governor John Huntsman started the “Housing First” initiative, a plan that

would span over the next ten years aimed at reducing Utah’s homeless population. At the time, it

was discovered that it would be cheaper to find permanent housing for Utah’s chronically
homeless individuals than to run the several homeless shelters and soup kitchens1. A chronically

homeless person is characterized as having either lived on the streets for more than a year, or

four times over a three-year span2. Those who met with social workers and qualified for the

Housing First program were placed in permanent housing units. Residents of these units are

expected to pay either 30% of their income or 50$ a month, whichever is greater3. In 2005, there

were nearly 2,000 chronically homeless individuals, but by 2015 there were only around 2004.

The plan worked better than anticipated, with a 91% reduction in chronic homelessness, an

astounding accomplishment.

Although a remarkable success, this number has slowly been on the rise. At the beginning

of 2021 there were approximately 642 chronically homeless5 in Utah. It should be noted that

those statistics do not represent the total number of people who have experienced homelessness

in Utah throughout the year. What many do not know is that the average time spent homeless in

Utah is around 65 days (about 2 months)6, thus, not enough time to count as chronically

homeless. The real number of the homeless population on any given day (a rough average from

samples taken throughout the year) is around 3,565 individuals in 2021. The combined

unduplicated total of individuals who experienced homelessness at all in the year 2020 was

10,8467. It is safe to say that although we have made great strides in providing permanent

housing for the chronically homeless, there is still much work to be done.

1
Karen Graham, Utah’s Answer to Chronic Homelessness? Give Them a Place to Live.
2
Kelly McEvers, Utah Reduced Chronic Homelessness By 91 Percent; Here’s How.
3
Kelly McEvers, Utah Reduced Chronic Homelessness By 91 Percent; Here’s How.
4
Alex Hartvigsen and Karen Quackenbush, Comprehensive Report on Homelessness, 5
5
State of Utah Annual Report on Homelessness 2021, 18
6
State of Utah Annual Report on Homelessness 2021, 13
7
State of Utah Annual Report on Homelessness 2021, 14
 What has worked so well in the past can work for us now. The Housing First initiative

was extremely successful in reducing chronic homelessness, and is an example of what can be

done to help the rest of Utah’s homeless population. If we implement the same tactics at a larger

scale, we will see a reduction in homelessness. Too often do ordinary people at the bottom of the

socio-economic ladder fall out due to circumstances beyond their control. Those living paycheck

to paycheck suddenly confronted with large hospital bills or other expensive accidents, single

mothers who lose their jobs, young adults who fall in with the wrong crowd. These people will

usually get back on their feet within 65 days, but there are many that don’t. Homeless shelters

are great at what they do, but there just aren’t enough beds. If these people who fall down were

allowed to live in affordable housing long enough to get their lives back together, the number of

homeless individuals would drop. According to the State of Utah Strategic Plan on

Homelessness, the number one need that is not being met is affordable housing.

In the long term, creating temporary and affordable housing will be less expensive to the

state than what is happening currently. The average homeless person costs the state far more than

one might think, between unpaid emergency room visits and jail time the annual cost per person

can rise into the tens of thousands. Providing housing is simply cheaper. With strict requirements

for qualification, time limits, and rent obligations we can reduce any abuse of the system. It is

widely known that drug abuse is rampant among the homeless population. Perhaps to qualify for

the housing program, the candidate must be clean from any substances or be entered into a

rehabilitation program. There will also be those who will not be able to ever participate fully in

society due to mental or physical challenges beyond their control. It is an unfortunate reality, but

placing them into housing where these issues can be managed will be cheaper than the inevitable

hospital bills, jail time, and shelters. Change is possible, so let our voices be heard by our state
representatives. When given the opportunity, vote for bills and proposals to assist Utah’s

homeless population. Advocate to your local government for additional homeless support.

Solving homelessness is within reach, but is entirely dependent on us.

Works Cited

Graham, Karen. “Utah’s Answer to Chronic Homelessness? Give Them a Place to Live.” Digital

Journal, 4 May 2015, www.digitaljournal.com/life/utah-s-answer-to-chronic-

homelessness-give-them-a-place-to-live/article/432465.

McEvers, Kelly. “Utah Reduced Chronic Homelessness By 91 Percent; Here’s How.” NPR, 10

Dec. 2015, https://www.npr.org/2015/12/10/459100751/utah-reduced-chronic-

homelessness-by-91-percent-heres-how

Hartvigsen, Alex, and Karen Quackenbush. Comprehensive Report on Homelessness.

Department of Workforce Services, 2015.

State of Utah Annual Report on Homelessness 2021. Workforce Services Homeless Services,

2021.