Chronic homelessness down 42 percent, new Utah report says

SALT LAKE CITY — Utah has experienced a 42 percent downturn in chronic homelessness from the previous year, a new report shows.

Researchers and human services providers attribute the decline to a 10-year initiative that places the homeless in housing sooner and connects them to an array of services and case management to deal with issues that contribute to homelessness.

"This isn't a panacea by any means but it is a very effective strategy," said Matt Minkevitch, executive director of The Road Home.

Providing transitional housing to the newly homeless frees up beds in shelters. The "rapid rehousing" concept attempts to place homeless individuals in housing within a matter of weeks.

The Comprehensive Report on Homelessness, released at a homeless summit in downtown Salt Lake Wednesday, states the vast majority of Utah's homeless population — 67 percent — are temporarily homeless. They stay in shelters for brief periods and often do not return.

Because of this trend, it is important that agencies that serve the homeless have beds available when people request them.

The economic downturn has contributed to homelessness overall, Minkevitch said. However, the high unemployment has also enabled agencies that serve this population to hire workers with substantially better qualifications than in the past.

The report states the fastest growing subgroup of homeless are families. "Children are particularly vulnerable to adverse effects of homelessness, which can interrupt their schooling, development of positive peer and mentoring relationships or expose them to dangerous or unhealthy environments," the report said.

Overall, homelessness in Utah has increased by 0.75 percent over the previous year. Researchers predict that more than 15,600 people will experience homelessness throughout 2010. Most available beds to serve the homeless are located along the Wasatch Front, with Salt Lake County's homeless population estimated to be about 9,500 people.

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