The governor’s office announced in a news release Tuesday that Wayne Niederhauser will retire on Dec. 5.

“With more than 12 years in the Utah Senate, including six as Senate President, and nearly five as state homeless coordinator, Niederhauser has made a lasting contribution to Utah,” the release said, crediting Niederhauser with strengthening “statewide coordination and accountability in Utah’s homeless system.”

The announcement comes at a key time for Utah’s homeless system — which is currently under pressure from top Republican legislative leaders and Gov. Spencer Cox to undergo a “sea change” away from “Housing First” strategies and toward more of a focus on substance abuse treatment, accountability, and potentially more civil commitment, or court-ordered mental health treatment.

Niederhauser’s departure means he’ll be leaving unfinished a major project that he’s been working on — the creation of a 1,300-bed homeless campus that he and other state homeless leaders decided to put in northwest Salt Lake City.

Whether that campus gets built or operationally funded largely hinges on whether the office Niederhauser has led over the past four years, the Utah Office of Homeless Services, will be able to obtain enough funding during the Utah Legislature’s 2026 general session scheduled to begin in January.

State leaders including Gov. Spencer Cox, who first appointed Niederhauser to the homeless coordinator position in 2021, have lauded Niederhauser as an influential and trusted negotiator, saying his relationships with legislators have been key to not only transform Utah’s homeless system but also lobby for funding.

Asked whether Niederhauser’s departure could jeopardize the homeless campus’ future progress or other key homelessness funding, Utah Homeless Services Office spokesperson Sarah Nielson said Niederhauser’s interim replacement, Assistant State Homeless Coordinator Nick Coleman, will carry on his work.

“The proposed homeless services campus remains a top priority for state leaders and the Utah Homeless Services Board,” the Nielson said in a statement. “Interim Coordinator Nick Coleman will continue to collaborate with legislative and local leaders to develop plans and secure funding.”

During his time as state homeless coordinator, Niederhauser helped establish the Utah Office of Homeless Services, and he led the publication of the state’s first-ever plan to address homelessness. He also secured record state funding for homelessness and housing initiatives and helped coordinate years of emergency winter homeless beds, “securing multi-county funding to support shelter operations at the most critical times of the year,” the governor’s office said in the news release.

“Niederhauser pioneered innovative approaches to address homelessness in Utah,” the office continued. “He piloted non-congregate pod shelters, which have directly helped Utahns transition out of homelessness, and advanced planning and funding to secure land for a new transformative homeless services campus.”

Cox, in a prepared statement, thanked Niederhauser for “his exemplary public service.”

“Wayne met hard problems with solid leadership and a focus on people,” the governor said. “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 said he was “proud of what we accomplished. 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,” Niederhauser said.

Cox has appointed Coleman to serve as interim homeless coordinator after Niederhauser retires on Dec. 5, and while state leaders search for a permanent replacement.

In the meantime, “durable systems established during Niederhauser’s tenure will guide the interim coordinator during the transition,” the governor’s office said.