The Utah Homeless Services Board’s chair, Randy Shumway, proposed a 1,300-bed homeless campus that would include 300 to 400 civil commitment beds and secure substance use treatment, according to a Sept. 18 report from the Utah News Dispatch.
Mr. Shumway said the proposal aims to align with President Donald Trump’s July executive order on homelessness and was developed at the request of Utah’s Republican leaders, who urged the board to prioritize “accountability and support” through expanded treatment, not just emergency shelter.
The order promotes involuntary civil commitment as a potential solution to crime linked to homelessness across the country. Since then, the president has declared a crime emergency in Washington, D.C., mobilized federal forces and worked to remove homeless encampments across the city.
The move could reverse recent public health progress, Community Medical Services CEO Nick Stavros told Becker’s. The order also could lead to increased and extended hospitalizations of homeless people with mental health conditions and addictions, The Washington Post reported.
