Utah homeless services receives nearly $13 million for affordable housing

SALT LAKE CITY — Utah’s Office of Homeless services just received nearly $13 million from the federal government. The money is intended for affordable housing and other services for individuals and families who are experiencing homelessness in Utah.

That means there’s help on the way for the approximately 3,500 Utahns currently sleeping on the streets each night.

That estimate comes from the annual Point in Time count, an estimate based on administrative records of the number of people living in emergency shelters and transitional housing at the end of January.

Needing public input on a draft funding allocation plan, the Utah Office of Homeless Services will hold a public forum on Friday, Feb. 18.

“To ensure the best decision-making for Utahns experiencing homelessness moving forward, we want input from the community as a whole,” said Tricia Davis, Assistant Director of the Office of Homeless Services. “We want to hear from as many Utah residents as possible.”

The meeting will be held at 10 a.m. at the Metro Employment Center in downtown Salt Lake City (100, 720 S 200 E, Salt Lake City, Utah 84111).  Those who are interested can also attend virtually. 

Specific projects can receive funding after the allocation plan is approved by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development.  The current allocation funding plan can be found here.

Simone Seikaly contributed.

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