Utah is falling behind on affordable housing, state homeless coordinator says
Nov 2, 2024, 5:00 PM
Hector and his dog King sit with other homeless people outside of the St. Vincent de Paul Dining Hall and Weigand Resource Center in Salt Lake City on Monday, Sept. 9, 2024. (Brice Tucker/Deseret News)
(Brice Tucker/Deseret News)
SALT LAKE CITY — As the winter cold sets in, leaders tackling homelessness across Utah expressed frustration at the lack of affordable housing.
Utah’s Homeless Coordinator Wayne Niederhauser said the state’s most pressing issue is the lack of enough housing to go around.
He said that Utah is falling behind.
“We need 37,000 units a year for the next four years, and we’re going to produce under 20,000 this year. That’s a problem. We’re digging ourselves deeper into a hole.”
He emphasized that failing to meet housing demand exacerbates the issue across all income levels.
“We are falling behind on housing. Not just housing for homelessness but housing in general in this state. And it all is interconnected and affects each strata of income and affordable housing.”
Niederhauser highlighted the critical role affordable housing plays in organizations like The Road Home.
Earlier this week, several organizations in Utah said they needed donations to continue offering resources to Utah’s homeless population during the winter months.
The Road Home Executive Director, Michelle Flynn, urged community involvement.
“Get to know your legislator. Get to know your elected officials. Talk to them about the fact that this is important to you.”
