Salt Lake City Legislators' Statement on Voting Against H.B. 440

For Immediate Release

March 4, 2022

Salt Lake City Legislators’ Statement on Voting Against H.B. 440

SALT LAKE CITY — Senator Luz Escamilla, and Representatives Sandra Hollins, Joel Briscoe, Dailey-Provost, Brian King and Angela Romero have the following statement on why they voted against H.B. 440, Homeless Services Amendments, on concurrence.

“We believe it is critical our unsheltered neighbors have a safe place to go and have access to resources to start rebuilding their lives. Anybody who wants shelter—especially during the cold, winter months—should have a roof over their head at a minimum. Salt Lake City has continually stepped up, year after year, to not only house individuals in homeless resource centers (HRCs), but to also address temporary overflow when there are no beds available in HRCs. All municipalities should commit to helping provide holistic wraparound services for those who are unsheltered and most vulnerable.

H.B. 440, Homeless Services Amendments, places Salt Lake City back in the difficult position of disproportionally bearing the cost of sheltering individuals and families experiencing homelessness in the state of Utah. The resources to address homelessness should not be concentrated in one municipality—we need to invest in resources statewide. Additionally, H.B. 440 reverses the Legislature’s commitment to Salt Lake City and its residents that the city not continue to be the primary receiver of unsheltered individuals and families. It is a disservice to the people of Utah to continue to concentrate these services.

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