The Utah Homeless Services Board met on August 4, 2026, at the Utah State Capitol to discuss various initiatives involving behavioral health training and housing developments. According to meeting minutes released August 20, the board addressed several agenda items, including updates on workforce development and contract modifications for affordable housing projects.
During the meeting, Vic Hockett from USHE provided an update on the Behavioral Health Care Technician Program and the Return-to-Work program. The technician program aims to bridge the gap between entry-level workers and master’s level practitioners to address healthcare worker shortages. Currently, the one-year certification program has 261 enrollees and 77 placements. The return-to-work program has placed 60 individuals into culinary occupations in Salt Lake City through the Catholic Community Services Culinary Program.
The board discussed a request to modify the deed restriction for Ville 1990 to allow a mix of 31 units at 30% AMI and 73 units at 80% AMI. Tiffanie Price moved to hold the item until the board receives original project specifications, financial models, and reasoning regarding the new AMI mix. The board also voted to assign a subcommittee to probe the Ville 1990 property with the Office of Homeless Services.
The Office of Homeless Services reported on several updates, including First Lady Abby Cox's visit to FINCH to support a literacy initiative. Additionally, the Office of Homeless Services is launching an outcomes-based funding pilot in partnership with the Harvard Government Performance Lab. This initiative seeks to shift provider evaluation from rigid input regulations to core success metrics to reduce compliance overhead and drive better outcomes for vulnerable Utahns.
The meeting concluded with discussions on removing restrictive language from upcoming fiscal year contracts to allow providers more flexibility to innovate. The board emphasized the importance of tracking long-term outcomes, such as employment and housing stability, one to five years after entry into programs.
