This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2016, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.
Legislation seen as a significant catalyst for the planned realignment of homeless facilities and services in Salt Lake City passed the Utah Legislature this week.
The "Collective Impact" approach, pushed by the city and Salt Lake County, along with service providers and community leaders, originally sought $27 million from the state: $20 million in immediate funding for two new shelters and $7 million in ongoing annual funding for services.
However, the sponsor of HB436, Rep. Francis Gibson, R-Mapleton, determined that would be too much to request in one year. His proposal sought about one-third of that.
In the end, lawmakers approved $9.2 million: $4.7 million for new facilities and $4.5 million for services.
City and county leaders, however, say they are hopeful that similar funding also will be allocated during the 2017 and 2018 legislative sessions.
Collective Impact seeks more and smaller shelters in various locations around Salt Lake City. The scheme would take pressure off The Road Home shelter on Rio Grande Street that has been the gathering place for large numbers of homeless people, as well as drug dealers.
The plan also calls for making Midvale's new 300-bed overflow shelter into a 12-month operation to serve homeless families with children.
— Christopher Smart