The Salt Lake Valley Coalition to End Homelessness aims to render homelessness rare, brief, and non-recurring. We do this through a system-wide commitment of resources, services, data collection, analysis, and coordination among all stakeholders.

News and Updates

Strategic Plan Released

The Salt Lake Valley Coalition to End Homelessness announces the release of its strategic plan to ensure its continued efforts to render homelessness brief, rare and non-recurring are focused on best practice, collaboration and data. The strategic plan is a living document designed to coordinate prevention, crisis response and long-term strategies across providers and with state, county and city government efforts. Importantly, the plan is and will continue to be informed by the expertise of individuals with lived experience.

The Coalition’s plan centers on foundational pillars of addressing disparities and ensuring equity for people experiencing homelessness, implementing data-driven strategies, and collaborating across systems to ensure individuals in crisis are placed in appropriate housing and receive the services needed to stay successfully housed. The plan is also centered on solutions to improve systemic effectiveness, increase the supply and ease of access to safe and affordable housing and tailored support services, and reduce first time experiences of homelessness and returns to homelessness through prevention.

Recognizing that rendering homelessness brief, rare and non-recurring is a state and nation-wide effort, the plan incorporates key elements from the federal Housing and Urban development and Utah Office of Homeless Services strategic plans.

With the combined expertise of our steering committee and members, including strong leadership from lived experts, the SLVCEH  plan sets out clear strategies with measurable metrics to inform our county-wide efforts to help individuals and families move from crisis to stability. As strategies are implemented, data will be analyzed to inform our approach and improve outcomes for people experiencing homelessness.

Homeless Persons’ Memorial Vigil

The annual Homeless Persons’ Vigil will now be coordinated and hosted by the Salt Lake Valley Coalition to End Homelessness. The 4^th Street Clinic has done an incredible job hosting the vigil and we thank them for all of their hard work. This year, it was decided that the event would shift to the Coalition as it is a community event and many homeless service provider partners, and coalition members participate in the event.

As such, we will be using the form linked below to collect the names to be read at this year’s vigil. Please share this form with your contacts so that we can be sure to collect as many names as possible.

The purpose of this form is to collect names of persons who have passed away in Salt Lake County in the last year (since last year’s vigil, December 22, 2022) while experiencing homelessness or having recently experienced homelessness. They will be remembered at a candlelight vigil in December. The vigil will include a reading of their names, a lit candle in their honor, and a short program to honor those who have passed. Thank you for remembering those who have died.

Statement on Sanctioned Encampment Planning

The Salt Lake Valley Coalition to End Homelessness (SLVCEH) understands that plans are moving forward to create structuredsanctioned encampments within Salt Lake City. We recognize the need to provide for the health and safety of those experiencing unsheltered homelessness while maintaining our commitment to supporting long-term solutions which will prevent and end homelessness, in accordance with the State strategic plan. There is a great and immediate need for deeply affordable housing and supportive services and that will remain our primary focus.

As we have worked with local municipalities to plan our Winter Response we are looking at our current emergency shelter programs and the options to increase capacity during extreme temperatures. We are also working to permanently increase low-barrier, non-congregate interim housing options for medically vulnerable persons and families which were proven as an effective crisis intervention during the COVID-19 pandemic, and would provide ongoing relief of system capacity constraints.

While we have concerns regarding sanctioned encampments, we intend to be at the table when our partners are discussing low barrier solutions to unsheltered homelessness. The SLVCEH is supportive of creative solutions as an interim measure while deeply affordable housing is being developed and is committed to providing input on any plans to develop a sanctioned encampment or other low barrier options. We will advocate for the planning to include budgeting for exits to permanent housing
with adequate services for camp residents so that the goal of long-term stability is prioritized.

As Salt Lake City and the Utah State Office of Homeless Services are leading out on the planning and funding process for structured sanctioned encampments and non-congregant shelter alternatives, the conversation is being hosted by those government entities who are leading this effort. Therefore, the Salt Lake Valley Coalition to End Homelessness will not be forming a task group around sanctioned encampments. Instead, we encourage coalition members, advocates, and community members to support and engage with the process set forth by Salt Lake City and the Office of Homeless Services.

Full Statement PDF

Heat Response

Salt Lake County (SLCo) Aging & Adult Services, in partnership with The County Library, SLCo Parks & Recreation, and the Salt Lake City Library will operate the Cool Zone program through October 15.

Cool Zones are areas in county and SLC facilities where members of the public can escape the summer heat, hydrate, and learn about available programs. Air-conditioned locations where seniors and persons with disabilities can beat the heat not only reduces their individual energy costs, but protects their health as well. 

Cool Zones are also great places to meet new people! Salt Lake County Senior Centers are free to people over 60 and are open from 7am to 4pm on weekdays (except Columbus, which operates 8:30am to 2:30pm).

Call (385) 468-3200 for more information or for list of Cool Zone locations near you: Cool Zone Interactive Map  |  Listing of Cool Zone Locations.

The Salt Lake Valley Coalition to End Homelessness Releases the 2023 Point-in-Time Count (PIT) Data

Statement on Salt Lake City Homeless Resource Center Text Amendment

The Salt Lake Valley Coalition to End Homelessness provided a statement to the Salt Lake City Council on April 4th regarding the proposed Homeless Resource Center Text Amendment. The statement provides support for the text amendments with some additional important considerations for the process to be viable. Click the button below to read the full statement.