A public service that has helped thousands get back on their feet will no longer be available in Uintah County. Uintah County issued a press release on the topic Monday. “After careful consideration of the current economic, regulatory and health conditions that exist within the State and the County, the Uintah Commission has decided to close down the Turning Point Shelter,” shares Monday’s press release. “From now until November 15th, 2020, Uintah County will be working on transferring services to Uintah Basin Association of Governments. The building which houses the Shelter was built in the 1950’s and does not conform to the requirements of the American’s With Disabilities ACT (ADA). The cost of becoming compliant is prohibitive and in some ways is also impractical. The State of Utah has also introduced legislation and regulations which penalize cities and counties with regulatory red tape and tax burdens beyond what is needed to operate the Shelter. With the decision to permanently close the Shelter the Commission wants to shift the limited funding to other programs which address the needs of the homeless within our community. The Uintah Basin Association of Governments (UBAOG) currently provides significant support to the communities it serves through the Food Bank program and a variety of programs that address homelessness and serve those who are in need of temporary shelter. The Commission plans to support UBAOG in their mission to deliver homelessness services to the community.”
