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VA Salt Lake City participates in annual homeless Point-in-Time count

Three men climbing a hill covered with snow.
Members of VA Salt Lake City's homeless outreach team trek through backcountry terrain to check on a Veteran living off the grid in Utah.

Volunteers and employees from the VA Salt Lake City Health Care System hit the streets of Salt Lake along with community partners for the Point-in-Time (PIT) Count.

The annual PIT Count,  held Jan. 26-28,  provides a snapshot of how many individuals are experiencing homelessness. Communities across the nation conduct the PIT Count under the Department of Housing and Urban Development’s Continuum of Care (CoC) Program framework.

“One of the goals for the coalition is to get an accurate number of how many people are sleeping unsheltered in the winter,” said Samuel Vincent, a nurse practitioner with the Homeless and Justice Clinical Recovery Program at the VA Salt Lake City Health Care System. “We are part of the community effort to help the homeless in Salt Lake.”

“It is heartfelt just to see our team connect with people in our community, and they do it with passion and with empathy,” said Director of the VA Salt Lake City Health Care System, Angela Williams, Pharm D. “I think it is very important as leaders to see their staff in action and to reconnect to our mission.”


Watch Point-in-Time (PIT) Count Video


The PIT Count also provided actionable information for our teams and built awareness with our employees and community partners. A team from VA Salt Lake's  Homeless Justice & Clinical Recovery department responded to a call about a Veteran in need in a remote area along the Wasatch Front. The team trekked through backcountry terrain to ensure the Veteran was in good health and had needed resources.

Data estimates in the Annual Homeless Assessment Reports show a 53% decrease in Veterans experiencing homelessness between 2012 and 2022 in Utah. According to Amy Earle, Acting Director for Homeless and Justice Clinical Recovery Program, there has been an increase in referrals, indicating there is still much work needed to address risk factors that the homeless population is facing in our community. In 2022, the VA Salt Lake City Healthcare System placed 262 homeless veterans into safe and stable housing here in Utah.

If you are or know a Veteran facing homelessness, financial hardship, unemployment, addiction, depression, or transition from jail, VA Salt Lake City Healthcare System can help. Contact our homeless services care coordinators at 801-582-1565, ext. 2746.

The VA Salt Lake City Health Care System is dedicated to improving the lives of Veterans and their families every day. The VA Salt Lake City Healthcare System provides health care services to more than 70,000 Veterans at 11 locations in Utah, Idaho, and Nevada.

 

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