'Your City Could Be Better': Utah's Controversial Plan for a 'Homeless Campus'
With homelessness on the rise in Salt Lake City and throughout Utah, the state is moving forward with a divisive idea to try to solve the crisis. The plan is to build a 16-acre homeless campus on the outskirts of Salt Lake City, where unhoused people with mental illnesses or addiction issues could be sheltered and in some cases involuntarily committed. This controversial idea is the brainchild of conservative think tanks, and it’s one that’s very much being embraced by the Trump administration and the Utah legislature. City Cast CEO David Plotz talks with City Cast Salt Lake host Ali Vallarta about how this plan is meant to work, the concerns about forced institutionalization, and why the state is pushing for this even though it goes against the recommendations of local experts and service providers.
Mentioned on the show:
- Interrogating Controversial Homeless Policy Proposals (City Cast Salt Lake)
Is there something your city is doing that we should be talking about? Email David now!
We’re also on Instagram: @yourcitycouldbebetter
Looking to advertise on Your City Could Be Better? Check out our options.
Subscribe To Our Newsletter
Stay connected to City Cast Salt Lake and get ready to join the local conversation.
Latest Episodes
Come to 801 Day! Data Center Questions, Cheap Weekend Fun.
Tooele County could be the home of a new nuclear facility, data center, and wastewater treatment plant. Host Ali Vallarta, executive prod...
Unholy Crumbl Cookie, Wildfires Get Closer, Liquor Law Quirks
Crumbl’s new cookie has host Ali Vallarta, executive producer Emily Means and City Cast Salt Lake contributor Molly Miloscia thinking. Pl...
Obsessing Over Cyclospora, Spandex Slopes, Adopt These Pets
Are you rearranging your diet to avoid cyclospora? Host Ali Vallarta, City Cast Salt Lake contributor Chandler Rosenberg, and audience de...
Utah’s Baby Bust, Record High Lows, Midway’s Coolest Shop
Why are Utahns having fewer kids? Host Ali Vallarta and City Cast Salt Lake contributor Kate Groetzinger unpack The New York Times’ deep...
What’s Next for the 9th and 9th Whale?
The 9th and 9th Whale is a Salt Lake icon, but it wasn’t always popular. Host Ali Vallarta and executive producer Emily Means dive into t...
‘Your City Could Be Better’: The Trick to Getting People To Volunteer — Presented By City Cast Salt Lake
It’s not a given that every Salt Laker will chip in to help their community. In this episode, City Cast CEO David Plotz talks with writer...
Is Cafe Rio Good Again? Salt Lake’s $950K Neighborhood, Gluten-Free Pie
Can Cafe Rio be restored to its former glory? Host Ali Vallarta, newsletter editor Terina Ria, and City Cast Salt Lake contributor Molly...
Pie and Beer or Pioneer Day Recs, Lighting Safety, the Utah-Est Neighborhoods
Are you ready for a long Pioneer Day weekend? Host Ali Vallarta, producer Ivana Martinez, and City Cast Salt Lake contributor Andy Larsen...
What’s Making 900 South Unstoppable
Is 900 South in Salt Lake City too cool to fail? We think so, which is why we're hosting our annual 801 Day party there on Saturday, Aug....
SLC Mayoral Candidates Emerge, New Food Trend, Avalanche Pup
Can Salt Lake City Mayor Erin Mendenhall pull off a third term? Host Ali Vallarta, executive producer Emily Means, and audience developme...