On Tuesday, state officials broke ground on a new Salt Lake City apartment complex dedicated to homeless adults. The 100-unit Sunrise Apartments, 542 W. 600 South, will have on-site services available and is funded through private gifts and federal money.

The apartment complex is a symbol of future possibilities, Mangano said, noting that the federal government remains committed to stamping out homelessness. Last year, Salt Lake City received more than $4 million in federal funds. Overall, Utah got $7 million.

"In Washington, that's a tangible expression of our partnership with you. Putting our resources where our rhetoric is," said Mangano, who was appointed to his position in March 2002 by President Bush.

With hurricane relief efforts and the ongoing war in Iraq, Mangano said, the country has a lot of fiscal burdens right now. But, he said, the president and lawmakers on both sides of the aisle are "trying to balance all that responsibly."

"I can tell you there is no appetite to increase homelessness in this country," he said. "That's why the response (to Katrina) has been so aggressive."

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