S.L. advocates tackle 'chronically homeless'

Winter is the season when Utahns do most of their thinking about homelessness, but sunny weather is the time to do something about it, say advocates from across the state who are taking a combined approach this summer.

In the Salt Lake area, providers such as the Road Home, Volunteers of America and Valley Mental Health will soon join forces to provide case management for more than 2 dozen people identified as "chronically homeless."

While case management is part and parcel of provider services now, this approach is unique because it will be combined for the first time with long-term supportive housing.

It's a new way of doing business, said Lloyd Pendleton, director of the state's homeless task force. "Some of this money that has been set aside is to be used for these new actions as they are developed by local homeless coordinating committees."

The "set-aside" money is being funneled from the Pamela Atkinson Homeless Trust Fund, which received a $500,000 one-time infusion of new money from the Legislature this past session.

Earlier this month, an allocation committee conducted a final review of the applications from providers for funding, voting on recommendations ultimately approved by the state's Homeless Coordinating Committee.

While much of the trust fund goes to supporting ongoing programs operated by service providers across the state — from Dixie Care and Share in the St. George area to the Homeless Veterans Fellowship in Ogden — new attention and new resources are being directed at specifically ending chronic homelessness.

Nine local homeless coordinating committees chaired by a political leader have been established in various regions throughout the state, each with a goal of establishing a pilot project.

"This is the big push we have made as a state," Pendleton said. "We are beginning to let them start gathering the data, identifying the problem unique to their area and are challenging them to do something differently to pilot a program. That is why those funds are set aside."

The chronic homeless represent only 15 percent of the entire homeless population, but studies show they consume 50 percent of the community resources.

"There are agencies out there with specific proposals to work with the chronically homeless," said Jonathan Hardy, director of the state community services office and chairman of the allocation committee.