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“We’re Criminalizing Homelessness”: Utah’s Growing Crisis and the Need for Collaboration

In the heart of Salt Lake City, where the LDS Church sends aid to every corner of the globe, a growing humanitarian disaster is unfolding just blocks away. Homeless encampments are dismantled, lives disrupted, and still, there’s no lasting solution in sight. So why can’t Utah’s political leaders get it right? Homeless advocate Robin Pendergrast…

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In the heart of Salt Lake City, where the LDS Church sends aid to every corner of the globe, a growing humanitarian disaster is unfolding just blocks away. Homeless encampments are dismantled, lives disrupted, and still, there’s no lasting solution in sight. So why can’t Utah’s political leaders get it right? Homeless advocate Robin Pendergrast pulls back the curtain on the state’s broken system, revealing why temporary fixes like pods and camps are dismantled, and how grassroots efforts are the only thing keeping hope alive. “Instead of helping, we’re tearing down camps, bulldozing lives, and offering no place for these people to go,” Pendergrast says. Read on to find out why Utah’s war on homelessness is making things worse, and what needs to happen next.
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