The warming center is back this winter for a third season beginning Nov. 1, running nightly from 8 p.m. to 8 a.m. at the Utah County Public Works Warehouse in Provo in partnership with Community Action Service and Food Bank. Security is on hand each night, and each person who enters the facility is screened.

County officials expect to continue reducing the issue by providing resources to those who spend the night there to get out of the cold.

“We’re not looking to just continue to expand and grow. We want to minimize the problem. We want to keep addressing the problem,” Beltran said. “And we’re able to do that the Utah County way, with compassion and accountability.” 

Those experiencing homelessness in Utah County declined from 292 to 247 individuals in the latest annual Point-in-Time count, according to the county, which says the figures represent 60% of the decrease in statewide homelessness during the same time period.

Beltran said that last year, there were 17 cases of people attending the warming center that directly led to finding housing, and that they were able to reduce the average number of people staying there from Year No. 1 to Year No. 2 by 19 people per night. He said the warming center officials know each individual by name, get as much information on the person as they can, and individually address their concerns.

“The lower our average gets, the more hands on we can be,” he said.

This year, the county is launching a “Laying the Roots” program, where 10 to 12 people will participate in a course on Tuesdays and Thursdays teaching them how to get a job, handle court issues, attempt to mend relationships and potentially receive check-ins at Wasatch Behavioral Health, according to Beltran. Each Wednesday is “Resource Night” where guests from The Refuge, Wasatch Behavioral Health or other places visit.

Beltran said working with community partners is critical in making the center successful.

“Community Action, of course, is our top partner as we contract with them to run it for us, so they’ve been fantastic,” he said. “Wasatch and the WATCH Program are amazing. They know these people year-around. Their job is to go and find them in the community and and try to get them resources.”

Community Action CEO Tom Hogan added in a news release: “The collaboration between all of our partners is inspiring. We have a community that is always willing to help those in need.”

Utah code required specific counties to submit a winter response plan to address homelessness during cold-weather months in 2024 and 2025, leading to the launch of the warming center. However, the code does not require a plan to be submitted in 2026.

“We’re going to do it anyway,” Beltran said.