President's Message

• Citation: Vol. 37 No. 5 Pg. 11
• Publication year: 2024
• Pages: 11

President's Message Vol. 37 No. 5 Pg. 11 Utah Bar Journal September 2024

October 2024

Transforming Lives in Utah with Outreach and Homeless Court Programs

by Cara Tangaro

Homelessness in Utah is heartbreaking. It is especially difficult when these unsheltered individuals are left to navigate the court system on their own when they are coping with trauma and mental health issues.

According to the National Sexual Violence Resource Center, many survivors of sexual assault, abuse, and harassment face intricate housing challenges. Experiencing violence can threaten a person's housing stability, while homelessness or housing insecurity can heighten the risk of experiencing violence. Sexual Violence &Hous. Res. Collection, Nat'l Sexual Violence Res. Ctr., https:// www.nsvrc.org/sexual-violence-housing-resource-collection (last visited July 30, 2024).

Alarming information about homelessness includes:

• Homeless individuals experience domestic violence at a rate of 49%, significantly higher than the 2% rate among the general population. A substantial portion of homeless women in Utah are victims of domestic abuse. Comty. Educ., Fourth Street Clinic, https://fourthstreetclinic.org/community-education/ (last visited July 30, 2024).

• Factors such as bankruptcy, divorce, and various other issues also contribute to homelessness. Id.

• A criminal record can significantly hinder homeless individuals and their families from obtaining or retaining public benefits, housing, or employment. Government agencies, potential landlords, public housing authorities, and employers commonly screen for and exclude those with criminal histories, exacerbating the challenges faced by this vulnerable population. More on Legal Perils of Homelessness, The Human Toll of Jail, http:// humantollofjail.vera.org/legal-perils-of-homelessness/ (2016).

Despite this, I am optimistic and hopeful that Utah's legal field is doing its part to provide solutions. I have had the privilege of accompanying judges with the Salt Lake City Justice and District Courts paddling down the Jordan River offering "Kayak Court" to help people living in camps on the riverbanks. Some of these people suffer from myriad legal issues and do not have the means to reconcile them.

I know from the few times I have worked alongside volunteer defense attorneys, social workers, and the Salt Lake City Prosecutor's Office that consulting with consenting unsheltered individuals to resolve their...