Utah’s shelter crisis has gotten worse after a change meant to help domestic violence victims
A protocol to assess danger for victims is now mandatory, driving more requests for help and stretching resources in rural Utah, where prosecutors already file more abuse cases per capita.
(Bethany Baker | The Salt Lake Tribune) Debbie Mayo, director of New Horizons Crisis Center, sits in one of the bedrooms at its shelter in Richfield. Mayo said her central Utah facility is able to occasionally take in people from other overcrowded rural shelters, but she also struggles to serve those in need in her service area — five counties and over 13,500 square miles.