SALT LAKE CITY — The Utah State Legislative session wrapped up earlier this month, but there were some bills that weren’t passed. Among them was HB 596 Homelessness Amendments, which was a proposal aimed at helping homelessness services.
But that hasn’t stopped organizations from doing their work. Friday at 9:30 a.m., Unsheltered Utah, the Second and Second Coalition, and Salt Lake City’s Housing Stability Division will host a resource fair.
From 9:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. at St. Mark’s Cathedral, people can get court services, bus passes, showers, lunch, and more. Court services will end around 11:00 a.m.
Unsheltered Utah’s Executive Director Merinda Cutler said HB 596 would have helped them with their work in many ways, but not all is lost. HB 596 was introduced by Rep. Eliason, and it included provisions that would have allowed more continuous funding.
Culter said the bill also had a provision for Code Blue nights. On those nights, when the temperature is 18 degrees or less for more than two hours, including wind chill, nsheltered Utah partners with local churches to provide a warm space for people to sleep.
House Bill 596 would have required the warming shelters to open at 25 degrees or less.
“Of course, we're devastated that this didn't pass, especially for code blue, because 25 degrees is, is pretty cold,” Cutler said. “Last night, it was pretty cold, and I think the temperature was only in the 30s, and I would not have wanted to sleep outside. So we were quite disappointed that the code blue did not pass and was not put in another bill.”
Although HB 596 didn’t pass, Eliason placed portions of the bill into other legislative measures, which allowed for the funding portion of the bill to move forward. “So those provisions are in there, and it allows the funding to continue, allows certain cities to have shelters like West Valley City and South Salt Lake, get the recognition as a shelter providing city, so that way they get the funding that they need to continue their operations,” Cutler said.
She also said the Executive Appropriations Committee allocated funding to homelessness services that begin on July 1. However, that still leaves a gap from when the winter funding ends on April 1.
She said the organizations are looking for funding and are hopeful they’ll be able to find solutions as they continue their work.
