These supplies make life a little easier for people who live outside, but Rene's main goal is to develop a relationship of trust with them, and act as a bridge to get them off the street. "I want to get them into homes," Rene says. "I tell them, 'I'm working for you. I want to get you out of the homeless situation.'"
And he does. He and all the other people who work with the homeless here have perhaps the best track record in the country. In the past nine years, Utah has decreased the number of homeless by 72 percent—largely by finding and building apartments where they can live, permanently, with no strings attached. It's a program, or more accurately a philosophy, called Housing First.
One of the two phones on the dash starts ringing. "Outreach, this is Rene." He's upbeat, the voice you want to hear if you're in trouble. "Do you want to meet at the motel? Or the 7-Eleven?" he asks. "Okay, we'll be there in five minutes."