The Utah County warming center is scheduled to begin its third season on Nov. 1, according to a report published Oct. 1. The facility aims to reduce homelessness by providing nightly resources to individuals in the community.
The center will operate nightly from 8 p.m. to 8 a.m. at the Utah County Public Works Warehouse in Provo. The program is a partnership between Community Action Service and Food Bank and will include nightly security and screening for every person entering the facility.
County Commissioner and Winter Taskforce Chair Skyler Beltran said the warming center has contributed to a 15.4% annual reduction in the number of homeless individuals in the county. According to the county, the number of people experiencing homelessness declined from 292 to 247 in the latest annual Point-in-Time count. This figure represents 60% of the decrease in statewide homelessness during that same period.
Beltran stated that last year, 17 cases of people attending the warming center led directly to finding housing. Additionally, officials were able to reduce the average number of people staying at the center by 19 people per night between Year No. 1 and Year No. 2.
This year, the county is launching a program called Laying the Roots. According to Beltran, 10 to 12 people will participate in a course on Tuesdays and Thursdays that teaches job seeking, handling court issues, mending relationships, and potential check-ins at Wasatch Behavioral Health. Additionally, each Wednesday will serve as Resource Night, featuring guests from The Refuge, Wasatch Behavioral Health, or other organizations.
The warming center was launched following Utah code that required specific counties to submit winter response plans to address homelessness during cold-weather months in 2024 and 2025. While the code does not require a plan to be submitted in 2026, Beltran said the county intends to do so anyway.
Community Action CEO Tom Hogan said the collaboration between partners is inspiring and noted that the community is always willing to help those in need.
Beltran said the goal of the center is to minimize the problem rather than just expanding the program. He stated that the county aims to address the issue with compassion and accountability.
