This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2010, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.
Two stimulus-funded programs to keep people in their homes and prevent homelessness have benefited more than 5,500 Utahns, U.S. Housing and Urban Development officials announced Tuesday. The Homelessness Prevention and Rapid Re-housing Program (HPRP), has been in effect in Utah since last fall.
One program tries to stabilize households with temporary subsidies to keep them in their homes. The rapid rehousing effort moves people quickly out of shelters and helps them with their rent short-term. A data system allows the state to track clients and determine the outcome of the housing efforts.
Separate from the stimulus effort, Utah is in the middle of a 10-year plan to eliminate chronic homelessness and reduce homelessness overall. A count earlier this year indicated the number of chronically homeless has decreased 42 percent since last year. But the Salt Lake City homeless shelter, The Road Home, continues to be flooded with homeless families impacted by the recession.
The numbers of homeless children in Utah jumped from 8,016 in 2008 to 10,388 in 2009 and 11,883 in 2010, a 48 percent increase in two years.
— Julia Lyon