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Public input sought for how to spend $13M in federal homelessness funding

By Deborah Wilber - Standard-Examiner | Feb 12, 2022

Deborah Wilber, Standard-Examiner

Ogden residents eat sack lunches on the sidewalk outside of the Lantern House homeless shelter in Ogden on Friday, Feb. 11, 2022.

OGDEN — The Utah Office of Homeless Services recently received $12,978,715 in federal funding for affordable housing and services for those experiencing homelessness in Utah. Now, the office is calling on the public for input on how the funds should be allocated among homeless services throughout the state.

A public forum for the allocation plan is being held in person from 10-11 a.m. Feb. 18 at the Metro Employment Center, 720 S. 200 East, Room 100, Salt Lake City. Those who wish to participate virtually can register at us02web.zoom.us/j/85659684633.

“We want to hear from as many Utah residents as possible,” Office of Homeless Services Assistant Director Tricia Davis said in a press release.

Once the allocation plan is complete, it must be approved by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development before the funds are released.

The funds come from the federal American Rescue Plan and will be administered through HUD’s HOME Investment Partnerships Program, which supports projects to reduce homelessness and increase housing stability across the country. HOME-ARP funding is available to nonprofit and government organizations.

Deborah Wilber, Standard-Examiner

Ken Harris, pictured in front of the Lantern House homeless shelter in Ogden on Friday, Feb.11, 2022, says he spent five years working in the aerospace manufacturing industry before losing his job and his home.

According to Utah Department of Workforce Services Public Information Officer Sarah Neilson, HOME-ARP funds may be used for the development of additional affordable housing units designated for those experiencing homelessness. It can also pay for rental assistance and wrap around services to help transition people into stable, permanent housing.

Federal regulations only allow funds to be used for the following: producing or preserving affordable housing, providing tenant-based rental assistance, providing supportive services such as homeless prevention and housing counseling, and the purchase and development of noncongregate shelter.

Neilson said the state has received federal funding to address homelessness for many years. HOME-ARP funds, however, are a new monetary source allocated by Congress in response to the impacts of COVID-19.

According to a press release issued by the Department of Workforce Services, funds will be utilized with input from the Utah Homelessness Council. The council, enacted by law in 2021, is responsible for final approval for the homeless services budget, strategic plan and award of funding for the provision of homeless services.

“The state of Utah recognizes that homelessness is a complex, multifaceted social issue,” Neilson said.

According to the annual Point In Time count, 3,565 Utahns experienced homelessness on any given night last year.

Michael Phibbs said he has been living on the streets for nearly four years. He and his girl friend, Dani Gordon, are coming up on the end of their 90 days at the Lantern House. Speaking outside the shelter Friday, Phibbs said he was not given an approximate timeline for housing when he started his paperwork with the Weber Housing Authority upon entering the shelter’s program.

When his time runs out, he said he will be on a three-month waiting list before he will have to start the whole process over again.

“It’s a vicious cycle,” said Gordon, who has been on a waiting list for housing in Weber County for five years.

Andrew Vanweerd, 19, said he gave up on trying to get housing when he was told he would be on a waiting list for three to four years.

A domestic violence incident between Vanweerd and his mother’s boyfriend left him with no place to go and a felony on his record. Vanweerd has a job but said he cannot find an apartment he can afford, much less one willing to accept a felon.

Kenneth Smith, who has been living on the streets for over two years, said he could probably afford to pay $450 a month for an apartment if utilities were included.

According to Neilson, the state of Utah committed itself to making homelessness rare, brief and nonrecurring, with 2021 legislation creating the Utah Homelessness Council, the Office of Homeless Services within the Department of Workforce Services and a new governor-appointed position, state homelessness coordinator.

Through the state Commission on Housing Affordability, the Legislature is currently considering requests in the governor’s budget to allocate hundreds of millions of dollars to address affordable housing needs statewide.

“While we do not expect HOME-ARP or any single funding source or program to solve all of the issues related to homelessness in the state, we believe it can play a key role in meeting the affordable housing and noncongregate shelter needs in Utah,” Neilson said.

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