Voices: Homelessness should not be politicized. In Utah, we need collaborative solutions.

Now is not the time to either eviscerate the recent executive order by President Donald Trump, “Ending Crime and Disorder on America’s Streets,” or to claim victory. Rather, I believe now is the right time for all stakeholders to align on our common goals, especially as this order aims to reshape federal approaches to homelessness.

Homelessness should not be politicized. In my 29 years of working at the largest homeless service provider in Utah, I have seen many changes in how our community addresses the issue. What I know for sure is that most people in our community, including elected officials at state and local levels, agree that we must reduce the number of people who experience homelessness.

First and foremost, no one should be living on our streets, along our rivers or in places that are unsafe for themselves and the broader community. Second, our community members with complex needs deserve safe housing that includes intensive support services, counseling and treatment options that work for them.

In Utah, our state and local officials have engaged with homeless service providers and people with lived experience for years. This means much of what’s in the executive order — like planning, resource coordination, outcome tracking and aligned legislation — is already standard practice. Agencies like The Road Home are required to report to the Utah Office of Homeless Services on measurable outcomes, and recent legislation has increased support for individualized services while reinforcing enforcement of anti-camping ordinances. The Road Home’s partnership with law enforcement in each of the four cities where it operates leads to increased connections to needed services, a decrease in the spread of illegal drugs and arrests of those who prey on a vulnerable population.

The order calls for redirecting and prioritizing existing funding. We must ensure taxpayer dollars are invested in effective, community-centered programs. Constant vigilance, program evaluation and technical assistance to help local organizations make needed changes are all essential.

But let’s be real: Every part of our support system is underfunded and unable to meet the current demand. We urgently need more resources for mental health-supported residential programs. To make matters worse, many crucial programs are losing funding due to recent federal changes to Medicaid, a core source of healthcare for people experiencing homelessness. Expanding mental health and drug courts is helpful — we’ve had these in Utah for decades — but they are not a replacement for treatment, housing and wraparound care. And for those with physical, mental health or substance use needs, access to long-term health supports is often the determining factor between stability and crisis. Civil commitment can be a critical tool, but once individuals leave institutions, our community must step up to provide safe housing and long-term support.

We also must acknowledge that behavioral health is just one piece of the puzzle. There is no single cause of homelessness, but studies show that high housing costs are a key driver.

Consider this: San Francisco has significantly lower poverty and addiction rates than Detroit, yet its homelessness rate is five times higher — primarily due to sky-high housing costs.

Nearly one in five Utahns spends more than half their income on rent. That’s not sustainable. Prevention strategies are more effective and less expensive than emergency responses. And increasing affordable and deeply affordable housing is essential to long-term solutions.

Homeless service providers are rightly held accountable for our results. We ask that the same accountability extend to every stakeholder, especially the federal government, to invest in upstream solutions.

Safety and accountability guide our work. We commit every dollar raised to those who turn to us as a last resort. Each night, The Road Home serves over 1,000 individuals, families and veterans. We provide not only shelter but also individualized case management and strong connections to critical partner services including mental health and substance use treatment to employment support and housing programs. About 83% of people who stay with us exit to housing within six months. Still, for every person we help move into housing, there are hundreds more each month trying to access a shelter bed.

Programs that combine housing with required participation in treatment services are essential, and we need more of them. We also need flexibility to design innovative, responsive solutions that address a broad range of needs. There is no one-size-fits-all approach.

Every community member has a role to play. Want to help families and individuals experiencing homelessness? Ask organizations like The Road Home what they need most. Want to change the system? Ask elected officials what they’re doing to keep people housed and connected to support before a crisis.

We all have a role. And we all share a goal that is within reach, if we commit, together, to making it happen.

Michelle Flynn has served as CEO of The Road Home since 2020, having been with The Road Home in a variety of roles since 1995. Michelle specializes in systems planning, emergency shelter, rapid rehousing, and permanent housing. The Road Home operates five year-round emergency shelters in Salt Lake County, as well as owns and operates three supportive housing facilities.

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