Utah Homeless Services Board Awards $1.8M to 3 Cities for Winter Shelters

Utah’s Homeless Services Board has approved $1.8 million in funding for winter shelters in three cities. Salt Lake City received the largest share, $1.1 million, followed by South Salt Lake with $378,000 and Ogden with $252,000. The funds come from the state’s Homeless Shelter Cities Mitigation Restricted Account and were awarded unanimously by the board.

South Salt Lake Mayor Cherie Wood, who also serves on the board, noted that the allocated amount does not fully cover the city’s expenses for hosting emergency shelter space. She emphasized that while the funding is a step in the right direction, it remains insufficient to meet the community’s needs.

Josh Romney, president and board chair of Shelter the Homeless, echoed similar concerns. He suggested that the board should collaborate with lawmakers to secure additional funding. “I think one of our goals would be to work with the Legislature to significantly increase the amount of money that’s allocated on this,” he stated. “I think South Salt Lake and Salt Lake City are incurring a lot of expenses that should be spread across the community.”

The funding is intended for cities that provide temporary shelter for at least 50 people each night and operate for a minimum of three months between October and April. The board is required by state law to allocate 10% of the funds from the homeless shelter account annually.

Salt Lake City Mayor Erin Mendenhall highlighted that Ogden also requires more financial support. She mentioned that several mayors are collaborating on a proposal to address this issue. “You will see some proposed changes from us on what the fund is used for, how we count and how we propose to fund hopefully a greater amount going forward,” she said. This initiative reflects a growing recognition of the need for sustained and adequate support for vulnerable neighbors during the winter months.

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