Utah News Dispatch
How many women in Utah are experiencing homelessness?
People congregate around the Geraldine E. King Women’s Center in Salt Lake City on Wednesday, March 26, 2025. (Photo by Spenser Heaps for Utah News Dispatch)
New research by the Utah Women & Leadership Project and Utah State University unpacks rising homelessness trends on the state and national levels. It also breaks down how many women are experiencing homelessness in Utah and the factors contributing to their loss of housing.
While men made up 60% of people experiencing homelessness across the U.S. in 2024, the number of women experiencing homelessness “is quickly growing,” according to the research brief published Tuesday.
In 2024, 18 of every 10,000 women (up from 13 in 2020) and 28 of every 10,000 men (up from 22 in 2020) experienced homelessness nationally, according to the report. Women experiencing homelessness also rose 19% from 2023 to 2024, compared to 15% for men.
In Utah, the increase isn’t as dramatic, but more women are becoming homeless compared to past years. From 2023 to 2024, the number of Utah women experiencing homelessness rose from 1,385 to 1,420, roughly a 3% increase, according to the report.
In 2023, 18% of those women were unsheltered. That figure rose slightly to 18.8% in 2024.
Both nationally and in Utah, “trends continue to show that homeless services serve more men than women,” the report says.
In total, 30,578 people accessed homeless services in Utah sometime in 2025, the report says. Of those, women made up nearly 42% (12,823), which was up 2.9% from 39% in 2021.
Among those women, 27.3% (3,503) were under the age of 18, up from 23% (2,153) in 2021, a 4.3% increase.
In total, 4,454 women were sheltered and 1,325 were unsheltered in Utah in 2025, according to the report. And 6,478 of these women were in households of adults and children, while 161 were unaccompanied girls.
The report also detailed possible “influencing factors” that Utah girls and women reported in 2025 as “barriers to securing housing.” Nearly 23% reported mental health disorders, 18.4% reported chronic health conditions, 13.9% reported physical disabilities, 10.2% reported developmental disabilities, 7.6% reported substance use, and 0.5% reported HIV or AIDS.
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Additionally, of the women who accessed homeless services this year, 1,103 women (8.6%) had experienced domestic violence, according to the report. Of those, 329 (2.6%) were currently fleeing domestic violence.
The report also cites Utah’s high housing costs as a key contributor to the state’s rising homeless population.
“To reduce homelessness in Utah, housing affordability should be made a priority,” the report says. “More state and local resources should be allocated to help Utahns facing high rent and home prices, such as increasing funding for rental assistance and promoting zoning decisions and development approvals that benefit cost-burdened individuals and families.”
Researchers also called on policymakers to focus “these resources on Utah’s most vulnerable populations and those disproportionately affected by homelessness, such as women, children, seniors, veterans, and racial minorities.”
“Now is the time to respond to the increasing needs of women and all of the at-risk populations before homelessness issues worsen,” the report says.
While addressing both short- and long-term housing needs, researchers also said “sufficient mental health resources and substance use disorder treatment are also imperative to helping individuals find and keep permanent housing.”
“Furthermore, state and national efforts must increase to meet the needs of Utahns who are experiencing homelessness at unprecedented rates,” the report says. “Many individuals and families are on the brink of becoming homeless as financial pressures (especially high rent and housing costs) continue to burden them.”
Efforts to reduce homelessness for “Utah girls, women and families will increase their ability to thrive and will strengthen our communities,” the report said.
