Lloyd Pendleton

Lloyd Pendleton is a notable figure in public service, especially for his work on homelessness. After a successful career in management at Ford Motor Company and the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, he began a new chapter. In 2006, he took on the role of Director of Utah’s Homeless Task Force, a position he held until his retirement from state employment in 2015. Lloyd’s main goal was to end chronic homelessness in Utah by 2015. To achieve this, he championed the Housing First approach, a strategy that provides homeless individuals with immediate, permanent housing without any conditions. This contrasted with traditional methods that often required individuals to meet certain goals, like sobriety, before they could get housing. Lloyd believed that having a stable home first would give people a better foundation to address other issues in their lives. This method proved incredibly effective. Under his leadership, Utah reduced its number of chronically homeless people by 91%, from 1,932 in 2005 to just 168 by 2015. Since retiring from the state of Utah, Lloyd has become a consultant, sharing his expertise and insights on the Housing First model with other states and organizations. His work continues to influence policies aimed at solving homelessness across the country, showing a compassionate and practical approach to a complex problem.