30 minMar 8, 2026

'Your City Could Be Better': What Austin Needs To Know About Utah's Controversial 'Homeless Campus' Plan

Show Notes

Homelessness is one of the major issues that cities like Austin are trying to solve. The state of Utah is planning to build a 16-acre homeless campus on the outskirts of Salt Lake City, where unhoused people with mental illnesses or addiction issues could be sheltered and in some cases involuntarily committed. This controversial idea is the brainchild of conservative think tanks, and it’s one that’s very much being embraced by the Trump administration and the Utah legislature. City Cast CEO David Plotz talks with City Cast Salt Lake podcast host Ali Vallarta about how this plan is meant to work, the concerns about forced institutionalization, and why the state is pushing for this even though it goes against the recommendations of local experts and service providers.

Mentioned on the show:

Interrogating Controversial Homeless Policy Proposals (City Cast Salt Lake)

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