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John Hollenhorst ReportingA candlelight vigil is planned at Christmastime to throw some light on the unpleasant fact that all too many homeless people die on the streets. Organizers hope the memorial will focus public attention to build support for solutions, but they've also generated some controversy with a proposal for a permanent homeless memorial.
It is the real School of Hard Knocks, life on the streets, where people without homes die all too often.
Monte Hanks, Fourth Street Clinic: "I'm always hearing about someone who is on death's door, in the hospital, or not expected to live, or just died."
Why do the homeless die? Well it's from chronic illness, accidents, hit-and-runs, drug and alcohol problems, in some cases just from the stress of living on the street. One homeless man even drowned this year in the Jordan River.
So far, organizers of the vigil have counted 35 homeless people who died in Salt Lake in the last year. They think the final count will be around 50. Organizers hope the candlelight vigil will raise public consciousness about deaths that didn't have to happen.
Jennifer Hyvonen, Fourth Street Clinic: "It makes a strong case in order to provide more affordable housing and to raise, have a working living wage for people. Those two things I think would prevent a lot of these issue from happening."
The candlelight vigil is tentatively planned for Pioneer Park, December 22nd. Organizers are also exploring the idea of a permanent memorial, possibly also in Pioneer Park.
Jennifer Hyvonen: "A permanent memorial would be mostly to honor those people who maybe don't have anyone left to remember who they are. And then also to remind ourselves that with support and with care, a lot of these deaths could be preventable."
That's generated some controversy. The Daughters of the Utah Pioneers already worry that historic Pioneer Park has become a homeless hangout. The DUP president supports a vigil, but not a physical monument.
Mary Johnson, President, Daughters of the Utah Pioneers: "Then, won't they all feel freer to be there? That that is their home? That that is their place? It would seem like it would encourage homelessness rather than taking care of the homeless. That's my concern."
Organizers haven't settled on Pioneer Park as the location. But they say a monument somewhere would help generate support for the number one solution.
Monte Hanks: "Housing, housing first. Housing now. And then we'll deal with everything else once they're housed."
The vigil will be Dec. 21, three days before Christmas Eve.
An estimated 50 to 70 percent of Utah's homeless are not from out of state. They're Utah residents who lost their homes. Only 28 percent are the so-called "chronic homeless" who live more-or-less permanently on the streets.
