Homeless-ness and hunger are growing in Salt Lake City - even among those who have jobs - just the same as in most other cities nationwide, a study released Tuesday says.
For example, about 40 percent of the people seeking emergency food or shelter in Salt Lake City already have jobs - but don't make enough to make ends meet.That is the second-highest such percentage among 26 cities surveyed by the U.S. Conference of Mayors.
The study also said 57 percent of the homeless in Salt Lake City suffer from mental illness - which is the highest of any city surveyed.
That number surprises Leslie Rusell of Travelers Aid Society. The society operates the city's largest homeless shelter network, and it estimates the number of homeless people who are mentally ill at about 25 percent.
In comparison, the percentage of mentally ill among the homeless in other cities is estimated at 2.5 percent in Chicago; 30.5 percent in Boston; 30 percent in Los Angeles; and 6.7 percent in Philadelphia.
The Conference of Mayors annually surveys cities whose mayors are on its Task Force on Hunger and Homelessness. It found that nationally, requests for emergency food were up 13 percent and requests for emergency shelter were up 10 percent - and increasing numbers of requests are not met.
It said that in Salt Lake City, "soup kitchens and food banks report an 8 to 12 percent increase in the number of requests for emergency food assistance."
The findings are similar to those of a survey conducted by Utahns Against Hunger last year. It found that among the families classified as being hungry, 59 percent had at least one full-time wage earner, said Steve Johnson, UAH director.
"Demand for emergency food is up around the state," he said. "A little over a year ago we were estimating that approximately 7,500 emergency food packages were being distributed. Now we estimate just under 10,000 a month."
That increased need for food is really very bad news, said Brenda Thompson, director of the Utah Food Bank, which supplies food to more than 100 agencies statewide.
"What's worrisome is that food banks across the country are having a tough time. And the numbers just don't go down at all as far as need."
Thompson echoes the survey's finding that about 40 percent of the requesters are already employed. Only Boston had a higher number of requesters who were employed: 75 percent.
The survey said Salt Lake officials reported that among causes for the increases were underemployment, unemployment, poverty and cuts in federal programs.
The city also reported that "sometimes food supplies are limited and the number and frequency of visits are restricted. The problem is especially severe at the end of each month when food stamp allotments have been exhausted."
Locally, donations to the food bank are down. While holiday fare has come in, other types of foods are scarce.
The city reported that the demand for emergency shelter also increased 8 to 12 percent during the year and said, "The demand for emergency shelter has increased so much during the last several years that shelters have had to turn families and other people away at times because of lack of space."
The study said 39 percent of those seeking emergency shelter were employed. The only city with a higher percentage was Charleston, S.C., with 41 percent.
In the Salt Lake Community Shelter and Resource Center, families are not being turned out into the cold. Instead, the overflow crowd is being sheltered overnight in lobbies and the Salvation Army dining room.
The survey said 57 percent of the homeless in Salt Lake City suffer mental illness (highest in the survey); 32 percent are substance abusers (third lowest in the survey); and 35 percent are veterans.
It reported that many veterans in Salt Lake City do not take advantage of Veterans Affairs programs because they view the agency "as a very bureaucratic organization, and they don't deal well with bureaucracies."
It also said 60 percent of the homeless are single men; 10 percent are single women; 28 percent are families; and 2 percent are unaccompanied youth.
The survey found that 70 percent are white; 13 percent are Hispanic; 8 percent are Native American; 8 percent are African American; and 1 percent are Asian.
The city also reported that it expects requests to continue to increase during the coming year.
The solution, according to city officials, lies in housing and employment. "A major initiative to provide transitional and affordable permanent housing is critical . . . We need to increase employment opportunties for the poor and less-educated segments of our society and provide incentives to businesses to hire and train homeless people."
It added that Congress should "fully fund existing federal programs aimed at eliminating hunger, poverty and homelessness."
Johnson is not optimistic about immediate improvements. "It's like a bad cold that won't go away. It's a time-consuming problem that there's no easy answer to."