Wayne Niederhauser, Utah’s first homeless coordinator, will step down in December after nearly five years in the post, the governor’s office announced Tuesday.
A former president of the Utah Senate, Niederhauser was appointed to serve as the homelessness czar by Gov. Spencer Cox in April 2021, after the passage of a bill restructuring the state’s homeless services system. Niederhauser’s tenure at the helm of the Utah Office of Homeless Services saw a shift toward more statewide collaboration to address homelessness, and Niederhauser helped craft the state’s first strategic plan to address homelessness in 2023.
Just last month, the Office of Homeless Services announced a deal to acquire a nearly 16-acre parcel on Salt Lake City’s west side for a 1,300-bed state homeless services campus.
“I’m proud of what we accomplished,” Niederhauser said in a statement. “Thank you to the teams and partners who show up every day. This work is about helping people move forward with dignity, stability and a real next step.”
Cox thanked Niederhauser “for his exemplary public service.”
“Wayne met hard problems with solid leadership and a focus on people,” the governor added. “He built partnerships, plans and tools that now anchor Utah’s response to homelessness. I’m grateful for his years of service and for the steady foundation he leaves for the next coordinator.”
Niederhauser will resign effective Dec. 5. A permanent replacement has yet to be named, but Cox appointed assistant state homeless coordinator Nick Coleman to serve as interim coordinator until a replacement is found.
Although Utah’s homelessness rate remains below the national average, an August report from the Utah Office of Homelessness shows homelessness was up in the state by 18% in early 2025. The state saw a large increase in the number of older adults experiencing homelessness and the number of veterans experiencing homelessness, according to the report.