The number of people experiencing homelessness in Utah saw a steep jump this year.

According to the annual point-in-time count, which is conducted in January, the number of people experiencing homelessness swelled from just under 3,900 to about 4,600 — an 18% leap over the previous year.

“That’s a big increase,” state homelessness coordinator Wayne Niederhauser said. “I don’t know if we’ve had an increase like that. And we’re concerned about the increase because it’s in the area of prevention. How do we prevent people from getting into homelessness?”

As its name suggests, the point-in-time count reveals only a snapshot of the Beehive State’s homeless population.

Niederhauser’s Office of Homeless Services released the data Wednesday as part of its annual report on the effectiveness of U

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