County officials in Utah can issue a Code Blue Alert to expand homeless shelter capacity when temperatures drop to dangerous lows. But during extreme heat, like the triple-digit temperatures Utah has been sweating through, there is no such mandate for an emergency response.
People experiencing homelessness are at a higher risk of heat-related illness and death, according to the National Integrated Heat Health Information System, both of which can be lethal. Heather Hogue, project coordinator of the Mountainland Continuum of Care, said these individuals don’t have immediate access to water and often have to walk while carrying their belongings to any location.
“They are just out in the inclement weather with no relief,” Hogue said. “And not only that, [but] exerting a great deal of energy to get their basic needs met.”
During the 2025 legislative session, lawmakers considered creating a Code Red Alert. The bill, sponsored by Republican Sen. Todd Weiler, would have allowed for the temporary expansion of shelter capacity — up to 35% — during dangerously hot weather.
“If it's 109 degrees outside, what else are these people supposed to do?” Weiler said. “I don't think it's acceptable just to say, you know, ‘Go find some shade on the street.’”
The bill passed the Senate, but failed in the House. Weiler said his colleagues were concerned about defining a Code Red, since a temperature benchmark would disproportionately affect warmer areas of the state.
“We got a lot of opposition from southern Utah representatives,” he said. “They were concerned that, you know, it's hot in St. George, so maybe every day is going to be a Code Red.”
Other lawmakers felt it should be left up to counties to ensure cool zones are available. For example, Salt Lake County extended hours at some of its cool zones during the recent heat wave.
“The problem is the counties aren't doing it themselves, or at least the majority of them are not,” Weiler said.
Homeless service providers, though, say they need more resources to keep their communities safe.
Opening larger-scale cooling centers requires funding and staffing, Hogue said. She works with homeless service agencies in Utah, Summit and Wasatch counties, none of which have standing emergency shelters.
“We can tell people, ‘Oh, the library is always open.’ Well, it's not always open,” Hogue said.
Local agencies offer a limited number of hotel vouchers during extreme weather to especially vulnerable individuals, Hogue said, such as the elderly or those with health issues or disabilities. But while homeless service providers aren’t equipped for the recent heat, she explained, an emergency heat response shouldn’t be a one-size-fits-all solution.
“If we say a cooling station goes in at 105 [degrees], Utah County, that's not really going to affect us,” she said. “But if you're in St. George or in Cedar City, you're kind of a little screwed if you're a service provider.”
Hogue would like to see legislative funding for communities to develop their own Code Red solutions. And there needs to be a coordinated discussion about what to do when “temperatures start hitting those boiling points.”
“I think everybody would agree that we need more than what we currently have. But we need to be measured, and we need to be prudent, I think, in the approach that we take to make sure it's tailored for each community.”
