None of the families, Riddle said, could afford the average rent of a unit in Salt Lake County — or anywhere in Utah — on their own.

Alvin Aubry and his wife, Nefertiti, are one family receiving government housing assistance, finally finding an apartment after nine months at The Road Home homeless shelter. Counselors there helped Aubry apply for Section 8 housing, which allows him to pay $200 per month for a two-bedroom apartment that allows the couple's 10-year-old son to have his own room.

Statewide, more than 28,000 families are waiting for governmental housing assistance, said Kerry Bate, executive director of the Salt Lake County Housing Authority. Only one in four Utah families in need of help actually receives it, he said.

The county served just over 2,000 families last year but was forced to cut subsidy rates because of federal budget cuts to the program. And with utility costs rising, housing authorities fear even more cuts.

"We're looking at some serious circumstances," Bate said.

Of the 68,000 calls to 211 Info Bank last year, the overwhelming number of housing calls were people looking for rent or utility assistance, said director Josh Pedersen. In the West Valley/Kearns area alone, the information line has fielded 513 calls for rent assistance since Jan. 1.

"The toughest thing for our call specialists to say is, 'I'm sorry, there's no help for rent,' " Pedersen said.

The federal government recommends that households spend no more than 30 percent on housing costs, including utilities. For low- to moderate-income people in Utah, Funk said, those costs often creep well over 50 percent, forcing people to cut their spending in other areas, notably food and health care.

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