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Show Income tax check-off to help Utah's homeless become self-supporting As Utah taxpayers begin filing their 1989 state income tax forms the State Homeless Coordinating Committee reminds them that they may make a contribution to services tor homeless persons by completing laic 20 of the long form of the tax return or line 1 1 of the short form. This year as the Utah Legislature meets, members will consider a recommendation by Governor Eongerter to match the money L'uhns donated through the check-( check-( if with state general funds. Ap-r Ap-r i oval of this recommendation will , uble the amount available to . ist homeless persons in their efforts to become employed and established es-tablished in a permanent housing situation once again. The income tax check-off was established es-tablished by the Utah Legislature in 1988 to provide a means for Utahns to donate money to the Homeless Trust Account which funds services for homeless persons across the state. Services are intended to assist homeless individuals and families in their efforts to become self-sufficient self-sufficient and self-supporting as well as help meet immediate needs for emergency shelter or transitional transi-tional housing. In 1989, nearly 40,000 Utah tax payers donated $263,000 to the Homeless Trust Account Across the state, 14 services were funded with over 20 percent of the money allocated to areas outside the Wasatch Wa-satch Front While homeless persons are more numerous in large metropolitan areas such as Los Angeles or New York, in Utah on any given day between be-tween 1500 to 2500 people are homeless according to the statewide "Homelessness in Utah"study conducted in 1986. The homeless are most prevalent in Salt Lake City, Ogden and Provo, but homeless persons are increasing in numbers in many other areas of the state as well. Increasingly the homeless are not transients "just passing through" but are local Twenty-five percent are families with children and single women. Only 14 percent of these say they choose homelessness as a lifestyle. The remaining 86 percent are not homeless by choice. Utah taxpayers can make a difference dif-ference by earmarking a portion of their income tax refund or adding a contribution to their tax obligation when they file their 1989 return. Contributions will be deductible when filing federal taxes for 1990. |