Copyright Salt Lake Tribune
An up-and-coming Republican and one of the country’s youngest lawmakers will soon leave the Utah Legislature to lead the state’s efforts to address homelessness, Gov. Spencer Cox announced Thursday. The governor tapped Provo’s Rep. Tyler Clancy, a 28-year-old police detective, to replace retiring former Senate President Wayne Niederhauser as Utah’s homeless coordinator. “Rep. Clancy knows the work on the ground and at the policy table, and that mix will sharpen coordination and results,” Cox said in a statement. “Building on the foundation Wayne Niederhauser laid, we will strengthen Utah’s response and help more Utahns find stability.” The representative won’t take the helm of the Office of Homeless Services until March 9 — the Monday after the 2026 legislative session concludes — according to the governor’s office. In a message Thursday morning, Clancy confirmed that he will resign from the Legislature after the session concludes, and that he will leave his job at the Provo Police Department. Utah’s homelessness policy has become a focus for Clancy since his election in 2023. Before entering politics, he was the executive director of the Pioneer Park Coalition — renamed Solutions Utah ahead of the 2023 Salt Lake City mayoral race. The group previously pushed for a plan that would require chronically unhoused Utahns to choose an option to get help or go to jail. “Utah does best when we work together with clear goals and real accountability,” Clancy said in a statement included with the announcement. “My focus is on coordination that helps people move forward with dignity.” Salt Lake Tribune reporter Robert Gehrke contributed to this story.
