'Your City Could Be Better': What Portland Needs To Know About Utah's Controversial 'Homeless Campus' Plan
Homelessness is one of the major issues that cities like Portland 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)
Is there something your city is doing that we should be talking about? Email David now!
We’re also on Instagram: @yourcitycouldbebetter
Looking to advertise on Your City Could Be Better? Check out our options.
Subscribe To Our Newsletter
Stay connected to City Cast Portland and get ready to join the local conversation.
Latest Episodes
Police Chief Bob Day on ‘Blue Flu’ Accusations, High-Priority Call Response Times, and Needing More Police Officers
City Cast Portland host Claudia Meza is talking with Portland Chief of Police Bob Day about everything from repairing community trust to...
Who’s Fighting the Participatory Budget Initiative? Plus, the PPS Superintendent’s Controversial Raise and Our Mailbag
Today we're talking about the opposition that's gathering against Portland's fall participatory budgeting ballot initiative and the lates...
Where To Eat Vegan Without Ditching Your Meat-Loving Friends
We all know Portland is a vegan food haven with all sorts of vegan-only spots, but what about when friends of all dietary preferences wan...
Your Guide to September 2026 in Portland
Whether you’re picking apples by the gallon, listening to jazz on an extinct volcano, or sipping on a perfect Negroni, September is your...
Best Places To Eat in Portland, According to TikTok Star The Korean Mama
A couple of years back, we had a conversation with the always delightful Jane Kim and her son Ed Kim — the duo behind the social handle T...
‘Your City Could Be Better’: Why Is Pittsburgh’s Airport the Gold Standard? — Presented By City Cast Portland
The Portland airport definitely has a lot going for it, but what it doesn’t have is its own electrical grid, like Pittsburgh’s does. For...
PPS Could Close Up to 20 Schools, Safer Portland Hires a Trump Lawyer, and Home Forward's Ex-CEO Scandal Deepens
We’re talking about why the state is leading an ethics investigation into the travel spending of Home Forward's previous leader. Plus, th...
Why a Third of Portland's Shelter Beds Are Vanishing. Plus, Oregon's Shadiest Sheriff, and a Burlesque Tribute to Dolly Parton
We’re talking about why Portland area leaders are undoing a homeless shelter system they just developed — as well as the surprising and h...
A Secretive Push To Privatize Oregon Liquor, City Council Candidate’s Embarrassing Website Mix-up, and Portland’s Pettiest Gripes
Today on City Cast Portland, we're talking about why there’s a secretive effort to privatize Oregon liquor sales and what it would mean f...
Are Home Kitchens the New Food Carts? Plus, Portland Fire’s New Mascot and the Rise of Portland’s Tabletop Gaming
We're talking about Portland metro’s growing home-based food scene, from donuts to birria to supper clubs — as well as the rise of Portla...