Governor Spencer Cox signed an executive order on Monday, September 22, 2026, to assist Utahns facing addiction, homelessness, and serious mental illness in accessing treatment, according to a September 21 report.
The Recovery Utah Initiative is designed to support goals within Cox’s Built Here second-term roadmap. These goals include reducing drug deaths by 25%, reducing the percentage of people entering homelessness after leaving state custody by 25%, increasing inpatient beds for serious mental illness by 10%, and constructing 150,000 new housing units by 2029.
The executive order establishes the Recovery Utah Initiative Council, which will include leaders from state agencies, the private sector, faith organizations, and individuals with first-hand experience of homelessness. The council aims to improve coordination across the sectors of public health, public safety, education, and economic opportunity.
Additionally, the order creates a Recovery-Ready Community designation for counties and cities that show a coordinated commitment to long-term stability and recovery.
To support these efforts, the Utah Legislature appropriated more than $40 million in 2026.
Cox stated in a released statement that the initiative aims to make it easier for Utahns to access treatment and remain connected to long-term support.
Kathryn Burgum, White House Senior Advisor for Addiction Recovery and Co-Chair of Great American Recovery, noted that the initiative represents a step toward ensuring people seeking recovery have pathways to opportunity through state and federal cooperation.
State Homeless Coordinator Tyler Clancy said that improved coordination across the system will help save lives and provide more Utahns with a path to lasting recovery.
