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SALT LAKE CITY — Maygan Martinez had just finished working a shift when she arrived outside of the homeless shelter to find the bed she was promised was no longer available. The night was particularly cold, with an even colder breeze.
"I had nowhere to go, no idea what to do next. And so decided to just start wandering the streets of Salt Lake City at midnight," said Martinez, who found herself wedged between two pillars of a building downtown.
"I just remember, (I) couldn't sit, couldn't fall asleep because I never know who could come around the corner or what can happen and just try to stay as warm as possible in that moment. And then as soon as the TRAX came on, I rode the TRAX until the shelters opened again and I could be in another warm, safe place. And that's what those shelters mean to so many of us experiencing homelessness," Martinez recalled.
We can't forget that violence is ongoing and that the only way for us to really solve this problem is to find a place for everybody inside.
–Wendy Garvin
To those who have or are currently experiencing homelessness, any winter night can feel like the longest and coldest of the year. Martinez shared her story on Thursday with a crowd of memorial attendees at Pioneer Park, as part of the Homeless Persons' Memorial Vigil.
The vigil is an annual event held on the winter solstice, the longest night of the year. This year's service honored and remembered the 74 people experiencing homelessness who died in Salt Lake County this year.
"We must remember that some of our homeless friends died on the street, but we also must remember that some of them died not on the streets, but in shelter, in their own apartments, in permanent supportive housing and other kinds of housing," said Pamela Atkinson, local homeless advocate and philanthropist. "We're making progress. It just seems sometimes that it is not enough, but this is an important ritual for us all and for our community members. And this is a great way to remind people who aren't involved that we really need your help."
The vigil included a reading of the names of those who died, a moment of silence, a poem and traveler's prayer, as well as other speakers and music to honor and remember those who have passed. Names had been collected throughout the year and added to the list — to be remembered by homeless providers and advocates.
Utah Gov. Spencer Cox's declaration marking Thursday as Homeless Persons' Memorial Day was also read by State Homeless Coordinator Wayne Niederhauser at the event.
"Hunger and homelessness continued to be a serious challenge for many Utah citizens who have the right to adequate food, housing, clothing, safety and health care," the declaration reads, in part. "We remember those who have died, having experienced homelessness, and encourage citizens to come together to celebrate their lives by working to resolve the factors that lead to homelessness within our state and increase access to sustainable pathways out of homelessness."
The governor's recent budget recommendation marks alleviating homelessness as a state priority. The budget recommended $192 million for additional support of emergency shelters, new ways to address labor shortages of behavioral health workers, changes to civil commitment laws, a new HOME Court to divert mental health cases out of the criminal justice system, and additional support for affordable housing.
While improvements in recent years in addressing homelessness were acknowledged by speakers and advocates, several noted it has not been enough.
"We come here and talk about the improvements we've made and how people are now being brought into hospice care and housed; we also need to remember that people are dying by violence on the street," said Wendy Garvin, executive director at Unsheltered Utah. "It doesn't do us any good to make this prettier than it is. It's freezing out here. People died from the elements. They die from violence. They die from accidents, and they die on purpose. We've had shootings every night last week. We can't forget that violence is ongoing and that the only way for us to really solve this problem is to find a place for everybody inside."
