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State PIT count shows 18% rise in homelessness; Salt Lake City urges lawmakers to fund shelters
Summary
A Salt Lake City official said Utah’s 2025 point-in-time count found 4,584 people experiencing homelessness — an 18% increase from 2024 — and urged the state legislature to provide capital and operational funding for 1,300 planned shelter beds.
A Salt Lake City official said the Utah Office of Homeless Services’ 2025 annual report, which includes data from January’s point-in-time (PIT) count, found 4,584 people experiencing homelessness on a single night — an 18% increase from 2024 that the official described as an additional 715 people statewide.
The official, speaking at a city press statement, highlighted year-over-year increases among several groups reported in the document: the number of Utah children experiencing homelessness rose 12%; the count for people identified in the transcript as age 64 rose 42% (as spoken); and veterans experiencing homelessness increased 36%.
“These numbers should be heard as a battle cry to bring more energy, focus, and leadership to this issue by our state legislature,” the official said, urging lawmakers to act and offering city and partner support. The speaker said partners have a plan to create 1,300 additional shelter beds and have made land available, but reported only one-third of the capital funding needed for the first phase has been secured and that no operational funding has been provided to date.
The official emphasized limits to enforcement-based responses, saying, “This is a humanitarian crisis. This is not something that we can police our way out of.” They noted Salt Lake City’s public safety plan mapped 50 actions to address safety and homelessness and that the city is implementing enforcement measures “as far as we can” with limited success.
The statement also said calls for service related to homelessness are at record levels, increasing operational strain on city resources. The official urged legislative leaders to accelerate funding for shelter capital and operations and said city partners are ready to collaborate.
The press statement did not name the speaker. The annual report and PIT count were identified as the data sources; the official did not cite specific draft legislation or a timetable for additional funding. The city’s plan for 1,300 beds and the reported funding shortfall were described as current figures in the presentation.
