Tuesday, May 17 2011 3:43PM
Job training has been provided to a number of former homeless residents in Utah through the Housing First program.
The latest figures from Utah's Housing First (HF) initiative shows chronic homelessness in the state continues to decline due in large part to the construction of affordable housing, reports say.
A total of 385 affordable housing units have been built in Utah since 2006, the Deseret News states. With additional help from improving economic conditions, the Housing First program has helped get hundreds of homeless off the streets and into new low-cost homes.
"The collaboration between government, nonprofit and private agencies is the key to Utah's success," Utah Lieutenant Governor Greg Bell told the newspaper. He added that by helping homeless people obtain permanent affordable housing, the state has seen marked improvements in the quality of their lives.
In addition to affordable housing for homeless residents, job training is also offered by the initiative.
Despite the help provided to the state's homeless residents by the HF program, the Salt Lake Tribune reports more than 15,000 people were homeless at some point last year in Utah, many of them living in rural areas.