Utah sees slight decline in homelessness — a first in years

For the first time in recent state history, Utah saw the first year-over-year decrease in the number of people experiencing homelessness on a single night in January, according to the U.S. Housing and Urban Development’s annual one-night count known as the Point-in-Time Count.

Preliminary numbers released by the Utah Office of Homeless Services in a news release on Tuesday show that 4,512 Utahns were experiencing homelessness in the state when the 2026 Point-in-Time Count was conducted earlier this year, from Jan. 29-31.

That’s down 1.6% from 4,584 last year — when the 2025 Point-in-Time Count recorded a dramatic 18% increase in January 2025, finding 715 more people than in the 2024 count. 

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Utah’s top Republican state leaders including Gov. Spencer Cox, Senate President Stuart Adams and House Speaker Mike Schultz issued statements Tuesday celebrating the slight decrease as a sign that recent investments in the state’s homeless system are starting to pay off. 

“I am hopeful about the changes we are seeing in Utah,” Cox said in a prepared statement. “This year’s reversal in the number of individuals experiencing homelessness on the streets of Utah is the result of sustained legislative investment, strong partnership across state and local governments and continued work from service providers, advocates and community stakeholders.”

“For the first time in years, Utah is seeing homelessness move in the right direction, and we’re working to make sure that progress holds,” Adams, R-Layton, and Schultz, R-Hooper, said in a joint statement. “This progress comes from focusing on accountability, treatment and solutions that produce measurable results when communities come together. Utahns deserve safe communities and a homeless response system that delivers real outcomes, and we will continue building on that progress.”

The numbers released Tuesday came months before the Utah Office of Homeless Services usually releases a full Point-in-Time Count report and updates the state’s homelessness dashboard. The full report and data isn’t expected to be released until later this summer. 

But Tuesday, state officials highlighted several other successes from the 2026 Point-in-Time Count, including: 

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• A 9.7% decrease in the number of people experiencing unsheltered homelessness, or those living on the streets, in cars or abandoned buildings. The 2026 count recorded 954 people, down from 1,046 in January 2025. 
• A 6.7% decrease in people experiencing chronic homelessness, with a total of 1,151 recorded this year, down from 1,233 in 2025. 
• A 0.8% increase in the number of people staying in shelters rather than on the streets, with a total of 3,567, up from 3,538 in 2025.

State officials also noted, however, that the data shows more work needs to be done to help certain groups of people experiencing homelessness. For example, the number of Utahns ages 65 and older who are experiencing homelessness increased from 365 to 385, according to the Point-in-Time count. 

Tyler Clancy, the state’s homeless coordinator, said in a prepared statement that “homelessness is not a one-size-fits-all problem, and our response can’t be either.” 

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“An effective, accountable system meets people where they are and gives them the individualized support they need to exit homelessness and build lasting stability,” Clancy said. 

In Tuesday’s news release, the Utah Office of Homeless Services said it was “committed to working with local leaders to build a more effective, accountable and sustainable homeless response system that is focused on helping people exit homelessness and move toward long term stability.”

Earlier this year, the Utah Legislature set aside $45 million (including ongoing and one-time money) for improvements in the state’s homeless system. Cox’s administration outlined three “key pillars” to guide how that money will be used: accountability for “high utilizers” in the criminal justice system, emergency shelter and affordable housing, and mental and behavioral health infrastructure.

“The progress we are seeing today would not be possible without policymakers willing to invest in solutions, local leaders committed to implementation and community partners working together every day,” Cox said. 

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