HOUSING + HOMELESSNESS

SLC leaders deny offering money to hide homeless for All-star weekend

Feb 10, 2023, 4:30 PM

Rescue Mission of Salt Lake continues annual Easter banquet to give back to the homeless community ...

FILE: A man stands at one of three homeless tent camps in Salt Lake City on Tuesday, Dec. 20, 2022. (Scott G Winterton, Deseret News)

(Scott G Winterton, Deseret News)

BY AIMEE COBABE

Digital Content Producer

SALT LAKE CITY — Salt Lake City leaders are continuing to deny any involvement in a plan to keep homeless people off the streets for the NBA All-Star Weekend.

Mayor Erin Mendenhall says the City did not offer to give homeless advocates extra money to keep people off the streets during the NBA All-Star Weekend.

“Actually what happened is that those volunteers asked the county, the state and the city to give them money to expand their volunteer operations during All-star weekend. That is what happened,” she said. “If there is a conversation about expanding shelter options you better believe the city is going to be there, but we are never, never, going to try and hide our residents.”

Reaching out for comment from the NBA, KSLNewsRadio was told their official statement is, “The NBA has no involvement.”

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