A Utah official vowed that the state would better track homeless deaths. Here’s what the first-ever study found.
A Utah official vowed that the state would better track homeless deaths. Here’s what the first-ever study found.
Utah's first ever homeless mortality report found 216 unsheltered people died last year, meaning homeless Utahns are dying at 10 times the rate of housed people. And that number is likely an undercount
Utahns experiencing homelessness died at 10 times the rate of the state’s general population in 2023 and were, on average, 16 years younger at their time of death, the Utah Department of Health and Human Services announced in its first-ever homeless mortality report.
Officials identified at least 216 people who died while experiencing homelessness last year, and found their mean age was 56. More than a third of those deaths were caused by substance misuse, compared to just 5% of the general population. Another third died because of chronic disease, compared to nearly 60% of the general population.
I thought Utah had really high life expectancies? 72 doesn’t seem that impressive