Estimated read time: 3-4 minutes
PROVO — It may seem Provo does not have much of a homeless population — to the untrained eye.
Homelessness can be more apparent in cities like Salt Lake City, where the unsheltered are more visible. In Provo, few can be seen wandering the streets or sleeping in public places. But Claudia Garcia and her team work with this population every day and know exactly where to find them.
The Provo Housing Authority van was beginning to fog up in the cold morning as Garcia and her team reviewed a map under the dim car light. Once the team settled on a starting location, the van began navigating the quiet streets of Provo before pulling into a parking lot.
"Look for vehicles that look like someone might be sleeping in them, foggy windows like ours," Garcia joked as she drove slowly between parking stalls. Shortly, a team member pointed to a van parked far off and the group, equipped with winter coats, blankets and a survey, approached.
"It's really early in the morning; we'll be waking them up. Be courteous. You may hear some vulgar language so please don't be offended. And if there is a crisis — you know, if we need to contact medical due to a crisis — please do so. We have run into some situations where it's very critical, and it is very sad ... and it will stay with you in your heart forever. I've had some situations that cannot be erased from my mind," Garcia added.
Several people were identified in vehicles, but search efforts included trails and hidden spaces like behind dumpsters. A small abandoned camp consisting of a torn tarp and a cast iron pan was found on an embankment wedged between a chain-link fence and the stream. The location was marked by team members.
The survey and group's efforts are a part of the Point in Time Count, an annual attempt by cities across the country to understand how many people in their jurisdictions are experiencing homelessness, or are unsheltered, on a single night in January. The survey is conducted Jan. 25 to Jan. 27.
The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development then provides data regarding sheltered and unsheltered persons experiencing homelessness, by household type and subpopulation, using numbers from the overnight headcount.
The lack of visibility is perhaps by design, with city zoning laws prohibiting a homeless shelter — but now after the passing of HB499, Homeless Service Ammendments, last legislative session, Utah County is required to address its hidden population. Data collected in last week's Point in Time Count can be used to help the local officials and providers gain insight into the needs and challenges of anyone identified.
United Way of Utah County did not yet have a number from the count, as the data was still being analyzed, but preliminary results from the Point in Time surveys indicated an increase in the "working poor" sleeping in their vehicles, seniors experiencing homelessness and a concerning amount of those surveyed indicating they are homeless due to episodes of domestic violence, said Heather Hogue, project coordinator.
Members of the Utah County Winter Response Task Force have begun to meet as required by HB499 to create a comprehensive county winter response plan. The plan will be formally submitted to the state by August 2024.
"We're having elected officials that are volunteering at the warming center. They're educating themselves about the issue. We're having really good talks about how to remove the need, and then what's next, you know, like, what do we come up with for next winter? And then, what then? What happens after the winter is over?" said Hogue.
"Everybody's asking the right questions and that is kind of awesome, to have the formalization of these conversations that have been sort of happening in different pockets of the community for so long, to be formalized enough so we're sitting at a table with the county with the city," she said.
