mango4ever and fringe ministry

Utah’s rate of homelessness is 11 per 10,000 people — significantly lower than the national average, according to the report, which recently raised to 20 per 10,000 people. Additionally, 2023 saw improvement when it comes to helping people transition out of homelessness and remain housed over time.

In Utah, the number of people experiencing homelessness is increasing, but it remains lower than the national average: 

• Point-in-time count In January 2024, the annual point-in-time count found that about 3,700 people were experiencing homelessness in Utah on a single night, which is a 5% increase from the previous year. 
• Homelessness rate Utah’s homelessness rate is about 11 people per 10,000, which is lower than the national average of 20 people per 10,000. 
• Family homelessness In 2023, 7,033 people in Utah families were experiencing homelessness, which is a 27% increase from 2020. 
• Factors contributing to homelessness The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) says that rising housing costs and the end of pandemic aid are factors contributing to the increase in homelessness. 

Some other statistics about homelessness in Utah include:

• Race and ethnicity: Black people make up over 10% of those in the homeless care system, even though they only make up 1% of the state’s population. Hispanic or Latino people make up over 23% of those experiencing homelessness, even though they only make up 14% of the state’s population.
• Sex: Men make up the majority of the homeless population in Utah at 57%.
• Length of homelessness: The median time from entering the care system to placement in permanent housing is 92 days. 

What all this tells me is that Utah is a leader in solutions when it comes to how we help the homeless community. But there is one significant statistic that is much higher than it should be for us. That is the homeless mortality rate. Currently the mortality rate among the unhoused in Utah is 10 times higher than that of the general population information from the homeless mortality report for August 2024 from the Utah Department of Health & Human Services.

I’m sure that there is a lot of factors that lead to this high of a number, like the dangers of the lifestyle itself and the outbreak of dangerous and highly addictive drugs like fentanyl. But there is more to be done to lower this and I for one believe that in a state like Utah where we have such and awesome record for problem solving that we can and will find ways to protect our most vulnerable brothers and sisters. This is not an issue that will get better if we ignore it, it is only going to get worse.