In fact, 13 of 17 indicators - including access to affordable housing, crime rates and cases of substance abuse - show Utahns are faring far worse compared with a similar assessment in 2004.

That's according to a new report by the United Way of Salt Lake, which the agency will use to prioritize how it spends roughly $17 million a year on programs in Davis, Salt Lake, Summit and Tooele counties.

"Of the 17 issues, at least 13 are worse than they were in 2004. That's alarming," United Way President Deborah Bayle Nielsen said Tuesday. "That's why we're raising the red flag. This isn't acceptable."

Three areas stand out because they affect the most people and they are getting significantly worse:

* Insufficient income, as inflation-adjusted median household income appears to be declining while the number of people living in poverty increases.

* Lack of affordable health care, with fewer employers offering coverage and Utah's uninsured rate surpassing the national average.

* Lack of affordable housing, with more people spending more than 30 percent of their income on housing.

United Way surveyed service providers, talked to people who use the services and reviewed data to come up with the results.

Nielsen says the problems are exacerbated by Utah's changing demographics and the widening gap between wages and costs for basic needs such as housing and insurance.

The United Way links such core problems with social ills such as crime, low graduation rates, divorce, domestic violence, substance abuse and poor health.

In other words, address the underlying issues and those social ills should diminish. To that end, the United Way will invest in five key areas:

* Financial stability. Some 2,000 more Utahns are expected to enroll in the program Utah Saves. And the United Way has created a council that will report strategies to combat the causes of instability, such as lack of financial education and low income.

* Life skills. United Way will select an organization to help school districts and communities create and expand model community learning centers.

* Education. United Way will release a study on the perceptions and barriers around English classes for immigrants.

* Child and youth development. Half of Utah children younger than 6 require child care, but most care is unaffordable for low-income families.

* Meeting basic needs. United Way partner Sealants for Smiles will expand dental care and education to students statewide because untreated tooth decay is the most common health problem among schoolchildren.

hmay@sltrib.com