In response to the rising number of homeless individuals in Utah, from the article “Homeless service providers throughout Utah see spikes in people seeking help as the pandemic wears on,” (Tribune, Sept. 21). I demand the state find alternative solutions to keeping homeless individuals off the streets.
I am a service provider with the Shelter the Homeless group in Salt Lake Valley, and I have seen the detrimental effects of the pandemic on homeless individuals. The demand for shelter continues to rise and we have run out of space to accommodate the influx. It is past due for the Coalition to End Homelessness to open an overflow shelter in Salt Lake Valley.
We are tired of turning away vulnerable people at the shelter, forcing them to sleep outside and only being able to provide a low-quality reflective blanket. A part of the state’s response to the pandemic is keeping our residents healthy and well. It is a shame that the coalition has not acted on an overflow shelter, forcing front-line workers to push crowds of people out and into street encampments.
In Utah, there is no excuse to let our residents suffer on the streets when the resources are available to shelter them. The use of resources is vital now. As a front-line worker, I demand action.
Alyssa Lueken, Murray