“There is absolutely nothing compassionate about allowing people to die on our streets, to live in filth, to harm themselves daily,” the governor said outside of a winter overflow shelter in West Valley City. “..People do need to be held accountable. And they need to have help, and they need to have options.”

In Salt Lake County, the winter response plan began on Oct. 16, with the county adding more than 600 beds.

With the increase in beds, both Cox and Salt Lake City Mayor Erin Mendenhall emphasized that police would be enforcing local ordinances prohibiting camping in public spaces if there are shelter beds available.

In Salt Lake City, Mendenhall said as long as shelter beds are available, people will be offered options for shelter, and law enforcement will enforce camping ordinances, which could include citations or jail time for unsanctioned camping.

“Should an individual receive repeat citations for illegal camping while shelter beds are available, they will be taken to jail,” she said on enforcement within Salt Lake City, noting that if beds are not available, those enforcement options change.

In regard to Utah County and areas outside of Salt Lake Valley, Cox said the state has been working with the surrounding areas, but the “bulk of the problem is here in Salt Lake County.”

“Now we know that we have problems in other counties as our population is growing,” he said. “Everything we’re talking about, the solutions we’re talking about, don’t just apply here.”

At the press conference, Cox said there are 11 facilities available in Salt Lake County and 19 outside of the county, adding up to 30 facilities throughout the state to provide shelter during the winter.

During the upcoming legislative session, the governor said lawmakers will be asked for more money to address homelessness and that money will be available for counties throughout the state, not just Salt Lake. Cox was unable to provide specifics as to how much could be allocated toward homelessness services as the budget hasn’t been worked out yet.

Utah County has already put in motion its winter response plan, with warming centers opening as early as Oct. 1, according to previous Daily Herald reporting.

Local churches in Utah County will be offering their buildings on a rotating basis to provide a warm place for unsheltered individuals to sleep during cold winter nights. While The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is not among the religious organizations offering a physical space, the church will donate supplies.

Additionally, families with children and those affected by domestic violence will be offered hotels or motels for a night.

During the 2023 legislative session, Utah lawmakers passed legislation that allowed communities to enact “code blue” alerts for when temperatures drop and required Salt Lake, Utah and Davis counties to create winter response plans each year starting in 2024.

Clark Ivory, CEO of Ivory Homes, which is a part of the Utah Impact Partnership Fund, said during the press conference the fund has helped raise $15 million for projects addressing homelessness and housing affordability. Donors for the fund have included The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and Intermountain Health, he said.