This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2016, and information in the article may be outdated.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.
An increasing number of people are in desperate need of shelter, services and housing in cities across the nation, including Salt Lake City. The Road Home is participating in many discussions about this increase. This dialogue is a broad collaboration that includes the governor, Salt Lake County Mayor Ben McAdams, the County Council, Salt Lake City Mayor Jackie Biskupski, the City Council, Midvale Mayor JoAnn Seghini, private partners including Gail Miller and Palmer DePaulis, Shelter the Homeless Committee and fellow service provider agencies.
This is an admirable collaboration. It is not easy work. It takes thoughtful analysis and critical discussions. It will take everyone at the table in order to improve upon the status quo. We acknowledge the problems on the street in the Rio Grande corridor are not acceptable and the status quo needs to change.
The Road Home is willing to do its part to improve the delivery of homeless services. Of paramount concern to us are 1) our communities have the capacity to meet the needs of those who would otherwise be on the streets, 2) our communities commit to the aggressive development of deeply affordable housing, and 3) our communities provide services to people who are currently going without. Creating deeply affordable housing is a key to ending homelessness, and new shelter locations are only part of the solution.
Related to these discussions, it has been suggested that the downtown emergency shelter we operate is closing. This has caused great concern and confusion among the many valued donors who support The Road Home, and among the many individuals and families who turn to us in their time of need. Also, reports on the possibility of new government appropriations may give a false impression that community support for operating The Road Home is no longer needed. State appropriations, along with the ongoing support of county and city governments, will help, but these sources of funding were never meant to completely fund shelter operations.
The truth is, those experiencing homelessness desperately need our support right now, so this important dialogue must continue. Last night, The Road Home provided shelter to 1,205 people, including 291 children. Also last night, more than 1,700 people including nearly 800 children, were living in our various deeply affordable housing facilities. In addition, our dedicated team provides additional supportive services including helping people obtain jobs and income, connecting households to needed health care, and engaging families with education and child-specific services that are tailored to meet the individual needs of those we have the privilege to serve every day of the year.
Every month, we work beside hundreds of people working diligently to move out of homelessness. With the support of our community partners, The Road Home has been widely recognized for success in helping people overcome homelessness. Members of our executive staff are known around the nation as thought leaders whose expertise is frequently sought by other cities and states. The Road Home is nationally recognized for innovation and success in providing shelter, supportive services and housing. The Road Home has also received Charity Navigator's top rating (four stars) every year for more than a decade. This would not be possible without financial support generously provided by individuals from our community.
Nevertheless, the need for our services currently remains at near all-time highs, and with winter approaching, we expect demand for our services to grow even further. With continued community support, the high demand for emergency shelter and deeply affordable housing programs will be matched by our team's unwavering dedication to compassionately serve every person who turns to us in their moment of need.
Bob Allen is board president of the The Road Home and a University of Utah professor of accounting.