“If it were legal, declaring a state of emergency on homelessness might be good politics, but in Utah it would result in no actual progress,” writes Andrew Johnston, the director of homeless policy in the Salt Lake City Mayor’s Office.
, Salt Lake City Mayor Erin Mendenhall was able to declare a state of emergency on homelessness because the criteria for “Natural Phenomena” includes the word “storm.” The abnormally blustery winter and frigid temperatures met the state’s definition of a “storm,” allowing the mayor to declare a state of emergency and quickly override city zoning in order to get more people indoors.
States of emergency typically give mayors increased executive powers and access to emergency funding from the state or federal government, defraying costs that would normally be spent mitigating emergencies like the COVID pandemic and our recent spring flooding. The enhanced executive powers don’t create a net gain today, either. Current projects related to affordable housing and homelessness are already proceeding as fast as is possible and would not be expedited. The current City Council is a strong, full partner in this work and is not preventing any necessary steps from happening.
Australia Latest News, Australia Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
Short-Term Rental Hosts Push for Long-Term Changes in DenverSome have lodged complaints with Mayor Mike Johnston and Denver City Council members.
Read more »
Josh Simmons, Carson Hinzman, Luke Montgomery, Justin Frye and Ohio State’s offensive line battles Buckeye Talk PodcastStephen Means, Nathan Baird and Andrew Gillis discuss Ohio State football's offensive line.
Read more »
Andrew Brim: How AI is transforming higher educationAndrew Brim: 'While AI can expedite connections, the nurturing ground for friendships, professional associations and mentorships lies within the university’s physical space.'
Read more »
The Beauty Products Andrew Fitzsimmons Uses to the Last DropFenty Skin Fat Water, SKKN Face Cream and more.
Read more »
Pregnant Shawn Johnson Kisses Husband Andrew East on ESPYs Red CarpetThe Olympic gold medalist was all smiles on the red carpet ahead of Wednesday's big awards ceremony in Hollywood.
Read more »