'It is our problem': Gail Miller donates $10M to bolster Salt Lake homeless services

SALT LAKE CITY — As she stood inside the building bearing her name, Gail Miller reflected on a savings system her husband practiced shortly after entering the business world.

Larry H. Miller served on various community boards, where he'd get stipend checks that he'd cash and store away in a suitcoat pocket tucked in a closet of their home. It was money they'd set aside for any unexpected costs throughout the year, he'd explain.

"We used that money to help individuals throughout the year when we saw a small need — something that could use a few hundred dollars, maybe. And then, whatever was left at the end of the year, we'd use to support families at Christmastime," recalled Gail Miller, co-founder of the Larry H. Miller Company and chair of The Larry H. & Gail Miller Family Foundation.

Looking back on it now, that suitcoat pocket became practice for philanthropy and the "spirit of giving," she added. To that end, Miller announced Thursday that she's donating $10 million to Shelter The Homeless, most of which will go toward capital improvements for the Gail Miller Resource Center in a form similar to Larry H. Miller's savings tradition.

The donation will be used from time to time as needs arise, like roof repairs or other building upkeep projects, as well as helping improve security and support services, said Josh Romney, board chairman and president at Shelter the Homeless. He doesn't expect any of those issues now, but those can creep up with the type of "wear and tear" that shelters can receive.

It will also go toward improvements for the five other homeless shelters in the Salt Lake Valley, he added. The donation represents a third of a $30 million fundraising campaign the nonprofit is launching to stay ahead of shelter needs, driven by rising building maintenance costs.

"These (resource centers) are critical to be able to help people transition from really difficult life experiences into housing and into a more normal, sustainable life," Romney said. "You can't overestimate how important these buildings are."

The Gail Miller Resource Center opened in 2019, offering aid to more than 200 men and women in Salt Lake City's Ballpark neighborhood. Its use has been "very high," said Salt Lake City Mayor Erin Mendenhall, noting it's especially crowded during the winter months, when the city often needs emergency overflow shelter.

There's a vital need for capital investment planning because operational funding is already low annually, she added.

"What (the) gift means to me is that we will not give up on these homeless resource centers that are working incredibly well for the vast majority of people who enter their doors," the mayor said.

Yet, the costs of building and upkeep are rising. All of the new shelters cost about $100 million to build out, Romney points out, but he estimates that it could cost double that if they were built today. Construction costs have skyrocketed since the COVID-19 pandemic.

The same goes for capital costs, which is why he said the donation matters. It provides money that the organization can set aside, giving security since it doesn't have guaranteed funding from outside sources.

The donation will cause a positive "ripple effect" in Utah, said Rep. Tyler Clancy, R-Provo, who is set to become the state homeless coordinator next year.

It may just be the beginning, too. Miller called her donation an "invitation" for others to contribute, saying it can meet current needs and build a "strong foundation" for the future.

"Homelessness is not a problem that one organization can solve alone. It really requires the community (to be) united in purpose. It needs service providers, government partners, volunteers, donors, faith communities and neighbors all working together," she said. "It is our problem, not theirs."

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