Communities around the United States are addressing the challenges of serving people experiencing unsheltered homelessness. In 2020, for the first time, unsheltered homelessness exceeded sheltered homelessness in the United States. In Utah, 53% of people in the homeless data system (HMIS) at the time of this plan have experienced unsheltered homelessness, with more than half of those located in Salt Lake City CoC. Encampments – or groups of people living in public places outside – represent the most visible segment of the population of people experiencing homelessness. In the face of this challenge, communities are beginning to develop practices to address this issue in a manner that leads to housing people, rather than temporarily relocating them.
The United States Interagency Council on Homelessness (USICH) has issued a toolkit for communities to address encampments to help communities address groups of people living together in public or other visible outdoor spaces (like transit corridors, sidewalks, parks). The toolkit lays out principles for effective encampment resolution:
USICH Releases New Encampment Guidance for Communities
Other Resources
- Webinar Recording and Slides for USICH’s 19 Encampment Strategies: A Conversation With Communities
- USICH Launches Community Spotlight Series on Encampments – No community has all the solutions—or the resources to meet every need—but many communities are implementing promising approaches to humanely and effectively help people move off streets and into homes. Read the first spotlights in this ongoing series:
- San Diego County, California: Integrating Health CareLas Cruces
- New Mexico: Engaging Neighbors and Businesses
- Hennepin County, Minnesota: Housing-Focused Outreach
- Denver, Colorado: Engaging Encampment Residents in Solutions