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Casey Logan, 26, panhandles for money on the corner of Center Street and University Avenue in Provo Tuesday, Nov. 20, 2012. MARK JOHNSTON/Daily Herald

Mark Johnston

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Casey Logan, 26, panhandles for money on the corner of Center Street and University Avenue in Provo Tuesday, Nov. 20, 2012. MARK JOHNSTON/Daily Herald

Mark Johnston

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Casey Logan, 26, panhandles for money on the corner of Center Street and University Avenue in Provo Tuesday, Nov. 20, 2012. MARK JOHNSTON/Daily Herald

Mark Johnston

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PROVO — Life for the homeless is never easy.

The winter weather and the wintry economy, however, have made the lives of the homeless in Utah County even more difficult — as well as the agencies that serve them.

Take the Food and Care Coalition in Provo. It has 38 beds for transitional housing — but cannot house any of the county’s homeless.

“We have received a memorandum that we cannot use the coalition as an overnight shelter,” executive director Brent Crane said. “I’ve been charged to raise a couple of a million dollars and I’ve not been able to raise a dime. We rely on projected revenues from grants and philanthropy and it’s not coming.”

Crane has received direction from his board that until the coalition building is paid for it cannot be used for housing. Of the beds already made and waiting on the second floor, 26 are for men, 12 for women. On top of that board edict, the local LDS Church’s transient bishop’s office has pulled funding for hotel vouchers. An LDS Church spokesman said the amount of funding has not been cut. *

“Until this year we have had good funding for the shelter. We could still raise money for hotel vouchers, it’s part of the challenge,” Crane said.

Problems and short-term solutions

Without funding for hotel vouchers and bus tickets, homeless people have nowhere to spend the night in Utah County and no way to get around, hurting those who have jobs.

“We continually need housing,” Bill Hulterstrom, president of the United Way of Utah County, said. “Historically several agencies have used vouchers for family housing solutions. We need more resources, we need housing.”

This situation is familiar to many agencies. Many families, couples and singles find housing through various churches and nonprofit groups, but without the money to pay for hotel vouchers, there are fewer options available.

“Some churches are willing to temporarily offer warming places and shelter, but cannot take it on for the full winter,” Kena Jo Mathews, chairwoman for the Utah Valley Ministerial Association, said. “The cycle we’re seeing is men are working all day to earn enough money for a hotel at night. They can’t get out of the circle. We also know families are living in their cars.”

Policies in the county and all of the cities do not allow for 30-day shelters, Mathews said.

Much of that is likely the economy. Businesses and charities are being squeezed, and there is less money to go around.

“I think we’ve made remarkable progress in the last decade, but in the last couple of years we’ve stalled,” Hulterstrom said. “We don’t know the number who are on the street. The short term solution is to have enough resources to use the hotel systems.”

And yet, all involved recognize that hotel vouchers are not the final answer.

“An overnight shelter is not the solution,” Crane said. “It’s no secret that Utah County is behind the eight ball in sufficient housing for poor and the needy.”

Long-term solutions

Homeless people don’t need a shelter, they need a home. That’s the next part of the equation.

One organization is working to keep people from becoming homeless. Community Action Services and Food Bank has provided rent assistance to those at risk of being evicted and becoming homeless.

“Since January, we have prevented homelessness for 202 families,” Lafferty said.

Lafferty noted that rent assistance is available for those that have employment and either got behind on their rent because of an emergency or for individuals that were homeless and have found employment. They can show that they have an income source to support themselves moving forward, but just need help with a deposit or first month’s rent.

Community Action’s foreclosure prevention program has helped more than 300 families save their homes and avoid homelessness.

While it’s hard to get solid numbers on the homeless, Community Action’s numbers from Utah County show there are 775 homeless, 40 chronically homeless, 295 families and homeless school children doubled with another family come in at about 2,196.

“Our programs are tailored towards families whereas the Food and Care Coalition is tailored to help single individuals or individuals without children,” Eric Lafferty said. “Our funding to help with shelter is restricted for families with children. Since January, we have provided assistance to shelter to 158 families (542 individuals).”

Taking action

On Saturday the Provo Seventh-day Adventist congregation served hot meals to more than 100 people at the Food and Care Coalition and handed out a variety of winter survival needs.

“We distributed tents, tarps, blankets, sleeping bags, boots, coats, gloves, hats, packs and hygiene items. You should have seen the looks on the children’s faces,” member Linda Walton said. “Several people cried when we said they could take what they needed. We let people come inside early because none of them were dressed for cold weather, but they left all bundled up.” 

Their group arranged for some housing with the limited cash they had donated as well. Walton had hoped to set up a temporary warming shelter, but local regulations and ordinances do not allow for one. The idea of holding 24-hour candlelight vigils at various churches was discussed so people could at least come inside, but that was not possible by law, either.

But Walton did get one Christmas wish. Beginning Nov. 27 the first Utah Valley Voluntary Organizations Active in Disaster will be organized. VOAD is under the direction of the national Seventh-day Adventist Church and works closely with other churches and groups on disasters such as Hurricane Sandy relief efforts. 

“We will start with religious organizations that are national and have local members and then expand to include anyone interested — faith-based groups, clubs, scouts, neighborhoods, businesses, individuals, etc.,” Walton said.

VOAD provides goods and services in the event of a disaster, but they usually “drill” on fictitious disasters. 

“We will be different — we will drill on homeless people,” Walton said. “Whether you just lost your job and then your house or your house was leveled by an earthquake — it’s the same problem. We just haven’t rallied around homeless people the same way we help those involved in a disaster.”

Walton said one of their missions is to eliminate the bigotry about the homeless. The reality is that the elderly, children, men and women, the handicapped, veterans and the underemployed all are included in the mix. 

“NIMBY or not in my backyard isn’t part of our vocabulary unless it means now in my backyard,” Walton said.

Things are looking up for Crane as well. ARK, an organization that works with homeless veterans, was looking for a home. In turn, the coalition will be allowed to use some of their own units for clients. Beginning Dec. 1 they will be using some of the beds at the coalition.

“ARK reaches out to homeless veterans and they contract with the Veteran’s Administration,” Crane said.

Provo Mayor John Curtis, who has met with all the agencies and is looking for an answer to local concerns said, “Yes we’re engaged. We want to solve this problem. But realistically we will always have this problem.”

* At press time, the LDS Church had not returned phone calls on this story. This detail was added after the story was published.