PROVO — After more than six months of nightly shelter from the cold, people experiencing homelessness in Utah County are preparing to lose access to Provo warming centers, which will close for the season on April 30.
As part of its 2024-2025 winter response plan, Utah County provided unhoused people with access to a daily warming center throughout the season for the first time in the history of recent legislation that required counties of a certain size to provide such shelters.
Utah County’s shelter has served nearly 600 people since Oct. 15, and has provided over 8,000 nights of service — the cumulative number of nights people have stayed at the shelter — according to Kena Mathews, housing director for Community Action Services and Food Bank.
Last winter season, Utah County provided a “code blue” shelter on nights the weather was forecast to drop below 18 degrees Fahrenheit. Between Oct. 15 and April 30, this only happened 20 nights and served around 40 people each night. This year’s warming centers received far more visitors than anticipated, averaging around 78 people each night. On one of its busiest nights, the shelter accommodated 113 people.
“It was definitely more than we expected,” said Mathews. “I think last year we probably got less numbers because (the days were) so random. This year, because it’s been more stable, we’ve had people with us the entire time. Some people come every night, and we’ve gotten to know them, and then we have people go in and out, as well.”
“We have definitely seen some transition from other counties and other states and that kind of thing,” she continued. “But a lot of them, I think, because it was more of a stable thing, were willing to come out and change wherever they were staying to stay with us.”
As leaders from Community Action Services and Food Bank and other local service providers prepare for the warming center to close, they are helping those experiencing homelessness prepare for the transition by ensuring they have knowledge of and access to community resources.
At a community resource fair on Monday, homeless attendees received free flashlights and socks, were offered quick case management appointments as needed, and got more information on community programs. This included housing, foster care transition, transportation, mental health, addiction and domestic violence services.
“There’s a lot of fear, I think. They’ve never had this before. We’ve only ever hotel-sheltered, and that’s been on a very limited basis. So there’s really never been anything outside of transitional and (domestic violence shelters) where there’s been this much stability,” said Mathews. “I think people have gotten used to it … but they become our friends, so we just want to make sure that they are stable.”
Throughout the season, the warming center has aimed to keep those experiencing homelessness warm and connect them to the resources they need, according to Mathews. She said community members have been instrumental in helping the shelter accomplish those goals by donating resources, washing blankets and volunteering to help run the shelter each night.
“Today, we found out one of our long-termers is getting into transitional housing this week. So, we’ve seen a lot of good things come out of it. … We’ve kept people warm, safe and alive, and we’ve got them to resources, so we feel successful in that. But, it is gonna be an interesting transition for some people,” said Mathews.
While Utah law requires every county to create a winter response plan for homelessness services, Utah County was one of the few able to include provisions for a nightly warming center.
Salt Lake County offers over 1,400 beds at emergency shelters throughout the year but added 700 beds to new and existing shelters as part of its winter response plan, with an additional 250 beds available during code blue nights.
On Tuesday, April 15, the Salt Lake City Council approved a request for a 180-day extension of the winter emergency shelter statutes for the Volunteers of America Youth Resource Center, Geraldine E. King Women’s Resource Center, Gail Miller Resource Center and St. Vincent de Paul Center. The emergency shelter statutes allow shelters to operate at an increased capacity.
Nearby, Davis County’s winter response plan provided a warming center only on code blue nights during the 2024-2025 winter season. When the warming center was moved to the I/M (Tech Center) Building in Kaysville on Feb. 9, it received scrutiny from many concerned citizens. The county has not had code blue weather conditions since Feb. 21, but the warming center did provide shelter to 44 people total on the nights it was open and provided hotel vouchers to three families.
It is unlikely Davis County will experience code blue weather conditions again before April 30, so it will not be required to provide the warming center again this season. The warming center will be moved to a new location, which has not yet been announced, for the 2025-2026 winter season, according to Ryan Steinbeigle, the county’s grant administrator.
As the state transitions into the summer months, those experiencing homelessness will likely be exposed to high temperatures and may have limited access to water. The best way to help, according to Mathews, is by helping people access community resources.
“I think the best way you can help people that are homeless is educate yourself on the resources and educate yourself about them,” said Mathews. “I realize that, yes, even in the general population there are scary people … but all in all, it’s just about having compassion and understanding that maybe their life story is different than yours. But, educating yourself on resources so you can provide those resources … I think that’s where community can change.”
For those who may not know where to start, Mathews recommends learning about community resources like Food & Care Coalition, Community Action Services & Food Bank and Wasatch Behavioral Health’s WATCH program for counseling those experiencing homelessness. She also recommends using the 2-1-1 website or app to help locate nearby resources.