This week, there's a lot of focus on helping the less fortunate.
So, it’s somewhat fitting that this week, the state is beginning the process of revamping its plan to end homelessness.
“Hopefully people get the resources that they need, and it didn't help with COVID coming,” said Joe Vazquez, the executive director of Salt Lake City Mission.
Vazquez has been helping the homeless for nearly three decades.
“The government is going to do their part, but they're not going to solve these social... it's people locally that care and get involved,” Vazquez said.
Estimates are that there are roughly 3,000 homeless people in Utah at any given moment.
“The majority of the people that are out on the street are struggling with some form of mental health issue,” Vazquez said.
Mental health will be one of the main points of the state's new homeless plan they are in the early stages of updating.
“It's important that we recognize that this is a very human and individual issue,” said Wayne Niederhauser, the state's homeless coordinator.
Niederhauser said the plan will center around behavioral and mental health and affordable housing as renewed focus to end homelessness, adding, “this is a statewide problem. It's a community-wide problem and everybody needs to weigh in on it.”
People not being able to afford housing is considered situational homelessness, which Niederhauser said differs from chronic homelessness, which happens more for people with mental health issues.
Niederhauser said both are very important to address.
“The objective would be to get as many people back into a workforce situation those who are capable,” he said.
The state is in the process of hiring a consultant to coordinate with at least 20 stakeholders from all over the state and the public to help formulate the plan.
They will report their findings to the homeless council, which is headed up by Niederhauser.
For those who want to help, experts say the best thing the public can do is donate to a local charity.