The latest numbers from the U.S. Department of Housing and Development show this is the first time homelessness has gone up in Utah in six years.
In Utah, 2,852 people were homeless in 2017 according to the report. It’s an increase of 45 people from last year. That’s a shift, as homeless numbers have gone down in the state every year since 2012.
The data also shows more of those people are going unsheltered compared to last year, meaning they’re likely sleeping on the streets.
In better news, Utah continues to have one of the lowest rates of veteran homelessness with a 34 percent dip over the last year.
HUD’s 2017 Annual Homeless Assessment Report to Congress found that nationwide more than 550,000 people experienced homelessness on a single night in 2017. It’s an increase of less than one percent over 2016. The creep is due in part to significant increases in big metro areas in California, New York and Texas.
