SALT LAKE CITY -- Weber and Davis counties are doing well in the fight against homelessness, especially helping those who are chronically homeless.
That assessment came from John Hardy, director of the State Community Services Office, as the 2011 Utah Comprehensive Report on Homelessness was released Wednesday as part of Utah's eighth annual Homeless Summit.
Chronic homelessness is defined as someone who has been homeless for more than a year or has had three homeless experiences in the past four years.
Davis County is listed as having no chronic homeless people this year, compared with four in 2010. Weber County has 64 chronic homeless people compared with 86 in 2010.
"We are excited to release this information and get it in the hands of community leaders so we can work on the issues," Hardy said.
Chronic homelessness in the state has decreased 69 percent since 2006, dropping from 1,914 to 601 this year.
Year over year, the number has declined by 26 percent.
"We have established a 10-year plan to end chronic homeless," said Gordon Walker, director of Utah Division of Housing and Community Development.
"If we can do that, then we can deal with the other issues better and create a level playing field across the spectrum."
The state is also having success against overall homelessness, which is at a four-year low. According to the 2011 report, Utah has 14,351 homeless people, which is down from 15,642 in 2010.
The number of overall homeless in Weber County dropped to 1,203 in 2011 from 1,241 in 2010. Davis County had a slight increase in homeless individuals, going from 629 in 2010 to 650 in 2011.
"Chronic homelessness is not a problem in Davis County," Hardy said. "The problem is primarily family based."
Hardy said an upcoming project in Ogden will also aid in helping the homeless.
The Lantern House, a 42,000-square-foot complex to be built on 5 acres at 33rd Street and Pacific Avenue, will be a wonderful addition to Ogden and will help serve the needs of homeless individuals, he said.
Construction has not begun, but once the Lantern House is finished, the facility will take the place of St. Anne's Center.
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