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Utah Reduced Chronic Homelessness By 91 Percent. Here's How. [NPR.org]

 

A decade ago, Utah set itself an ambitious goal: end chronic homelessness.

As of 2015, the state can just about declare victory: The population of chronically homeless people has dropped by 91 percent.

The state's success story has generated headlines around the country, and even The Daily Show With Jon Stewart has looked to Utah to understand how the state achieved its goal.

In fact, Utah still has a substantial homeless problem. Theoverall homeless population is around 14,000.

I get probably two to five calls a week now, wanting to know how we did it, what's unique about Utah.

The chronically homeless, on the other hand, are a subset of the homeless population that is often the most vulnerable. These are people who have been living on the streets for more than a year, or four times in the last three years, and who have a "disabling condition" — that includes serious mental illness, an addiction or a physical disability or illness.

According to the Department of Housing and Urban Development, that represents about 20 percent of the national homeless population.  

[For more of this story, written by Kelly McEvers, go to http://www.npr.org/2015/12/10/...91-percent-heres-how]

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