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State outlines strategy to address ‘high utilizers’ of police and emergency systems; seeks $45M in governor’s budget

Economic and Community Development Appropriation Subcommittee · January 29, 2026

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Summary

Interim state homelessness coordinator and partners presented data identifying roughly 971 high-utilizer individuals and proposed a three-pillar approach with a governor request of $25M one-time capital and $20M ongoing operations for criminal justice/high-utilizer interventions plus $5M one-time for the Other Side village.

SALT LAKE CITY — Interim state homelessness coordinator Nick Coleman and former Salt Lake City police sergeant Nate Meinzer told the subcommittee the governor’s plan targets a small group of people who repeatedly cycle through police custody, emergency medical care and shelters.

Coleman said a recent statewide data pull shows roughly 971 individuals in an expanded cohort who averaged about 11 arrests per year; Meinzer said the top 50 account for thousands of officer hours. “There are over 971 individuals who have been arrested on average 11 times in a single calendar year,” Coleman said.

The presenters described a three-pillar approach: accountability for high utilizers, emergency shelter and supportive housing and expanded mental and behavioral health capacity. Coleman highlighted micro-shelter projects and the Other Side village, a residential model intended for adults with histories of chronic homelessness and criminogenic factors.

The governor’s budget recommendations cited in testimony included $25,000,000 one-time to support capital development for criminal-justice/high-utilizer work and $20,000,000 ongoing for operations. The Other Side village is included as a $5,000,000 one-time request, which testimony estimated would create roughly 34 homes with substantial private matching funds.

Why it matters: Agency presenters argued that targeted investments for the highest utilizers can reduce repeated emergency-system contacts and bring long-term cost savings across criminal justice, hospitals and shelters. Committee members asked for phasing and outcome measures because of the large dollar requests and tight fiscal conditions.

No final appropriation votes were taken; presenters said they will return with further data and implementation plans.