“They pulled what they called my shelter license. So I could not work with clients directly… I was basically at a loss in terms of what I could do.” — Karl Westbrook

Homelessness in Salt Lake City is a crisis that defies easy answers. But behind every statistic is a story—of loss, of resilience, of a system caught between intention and outcome. Karl Westbrook knows this better than most. His journey from homelessness and addiction to community advocate gives him a perspective that’s hard to find among the neatly packaged solutions offered by policymakers.

From Homelessness to Advocacy: Karl Westbrook’s Journey

Karl’s story starts with struggle. After battling addiction and finding himself homeless as recently as 2023, he managed to get back on his feet, driven by a desire to make a difference. He joined AmeriCorps through the Salt Lake County MVP program as a housing specialist for The Road Home. But despite his passion and first-hand experience, three months into his term, Karl was barred from working directly with clients because of his past. He found himself sidelined, but he didn’t let that stop him from trying to help.

Innovative Solutions to Salt Lake City’s Housing Crisis

The first project he launched was called “Glass Houses.” Seeing a lack of transparency in the housing market, Karl began gathering data on local rental properties, including policies around criminal records, credit scores, and income requirements. “I accumulated a database of 1,200 properties in Salt Lake County,” he said, determined to build a tool that could streamline housing searches for those facing the biggest barriers. But his work was met with pushback from his own organization. “I got no support from staff… They did not want me to complete this project.”

Uniting Communities Through Dialogue and Action

Karl’s drive to help didn’t end there. One of his most innovative ideas is the “Speakeasy” platform—an open forum where people can discuss tough subjects without fear of being shouted down. The idea came from conversations with a friend behind a shed, where the pair imagined hosting casual, stand-up comedy-style dialogues. “We would just talk about common issues,” he said, with a goal to make the tough conversations approachable and engaging. He hopes to take the concept even further by bringing it to neighborhood gatherings to hear directly from residents about their concerns.

While Karl’s focus on community dialogue is strong, he’s also thinking about fostering connections over a cup of coffee. His idea for the “Coffee Chronicles” involves visiting Salt Lake’s coffee houses to gather stories from locals. What’s the best cup of coffee in town? More importantly, what are people in different neighborhoods most concerned about? Karl believes that real community-building starts with listening to the everyday stories of the people living here.

Another of Karl’s concepts is the “Protocol One Consortium”—an effort to unite smaller nonprofits and foster collaboration. After facing pushback from larger organizations, he realized that the real power lies in grassroots connections, not in bureaucratic systems or territorial squabbles. His goal is to bring together smaller groups to exchange ideas and work together rather than competing for limited resources.

On the practical side of solving homelessness, Karl is thinking about innovative solutions for the winter months. He has proposed a “Code Blue Transport Initiative” to move unsheltered people to safe locations during harsh weather, using buses as comfort stations when shelters are full. It’s a simple, common-sense idea, but one that Karl believes could save lives on the coldest nights.

Empowering At-Risk Youth to Break the Cycle

In addition to all these ideas, Karl is shifting his focus toward helping at-risk youth, believing he can make the most impact by intervening before young people become homeless. “If you can help kids before they have any chance of becoming homeless… I think that’s a great endeavor,” he said.

Karl Westbrook’s story isn’t just one of personal redemption—it’s about seeing a broken system and trying to fix it. His determination to keep pushing forward, despite setbacks and bureaucracy, highlights a simple truth: the solutions to homelessness won’t come from big institutions or grand policies. They’ll come from real people, like Karl, who are willing to roll up their sleeves and try something different. Whether through dialogue, community building, or practical solutions, Karl’s vision is grounded in firsthand experience and a refusal to give up.