Wayne Niederhauser to retire as state homeless coordinator on Dec. 5

SALT LAKE CITY (Oct. 21, 2025) — After a distinguished tenure as the state’s first Homeless Coordinator, Wayne Niederhauser will retire on Dec. 5, 2025. With more than 12 years in the Utah Senate, including six as Senate President, and nearly five as state homeless coordinator, Niederhauser has made a lasting contribution to Utah. 

During his tenure as Coordinator, Niederhauser strengthened statewide coordination and accountability in Utah’s homelessness system. He helped establish the Utah Office of Homeless Services, leading publication of the first-ever State Plan to Address Homelessness, and secured record one-time and ongoing legislative appropriations for housing and homelessness initiatives. He also coordinated the annual statewide winter response, securing multi-county funding to support shelter operations at the most critical times of the year. 

Niederhauser pioneered innovative approaches to address homelessness in Utah. He piloted non-congregate pod shelters, which have directly helped Utahns transition out of homelessness, and advanced planning and funding to secure land for a new transformative homeless services campus.

“On behalf of the State of Utah, I thank Wayne Niederhauser for his exemplary public service,” said Gov. Cox. “Wayne met hard problems with solid leadership and a focus on people. He built partnerships, plans, and tools that now anchor Utah’s response to homelessness. I’m grateful for his years of service and for the steady foundation he leaves for the next coordinator.”

“I’m proud of what we accomplished,” said Niederhauser. “Thank you to the teams and partners who show up every day. This work is about helping people move forward with dignity, stability, and a real next step.”

Gov. Spencer J. Cox has appointed Assistant State Homeless Coordinator, Nick Coleman, to serve as interim Coordinator after Niederhauser’s retirement while a search for a permanent Coordinator occurs. Durable systems established during Niederhauser’s tenure will guide the interim coordinator during the transition.