Kansas City, Missouri – Kansas City is making a big commitment to help the homeless by building a new low-barrier shelter that focuses on dignity, healthcare, and long-term stability. The City Council officially adopted Ordinance 250582. It gives Care Beyond the Boulevard, a nonprofit healthcare provider, $7.1 million to build the new facility.
The money came from the federal HOME Investment Partnership Program (HOME-ARP) and has been hanging around since it was approved in 2022. The city has been waiting for the proper chance because there was no qualifying project in place before. That changed when Care Beyond the Boulevard, which is known for its mobile medical outreach through the “Big Green Bus,” was chosen through a competitive procedure to lead the project.
“This is the kind of forward-thinking, compassionate investment our city desperately needs,” said lead sponsor, Third District At Large Council Member, Melissa Patterson Hazley. “This project is about dignity, health, and stability for people who have been left behind for far too long.”
The shelter will be open 24 hours a day, seven days a week, and will offer non-congregate accommodation, which means that people and families will have their own rooms instead of sharing them with other people. It will also have medical respite services on site for persons who are recovering from an illness or injury and don’t have a safe place to do so.
The facility will offer full support services in addition to housing and medical care. Case managers will be on-site to help people find long-term housing and career training programs. The purpose is not just to fulfill immediate needs, but also to help residents find stable housing and work.
Blaine Proctor, director of the City’s Housing and Community Development Department (HCDD), said that the project fits in with the city’s larger ZERO KC campaign, which said that a low-barrier shelter was urgently needed as part of its plan to cut down on homelessness.
“By investing in this project, we can give local non-profits the resources and training they need to continue their critical work,” Proctor said.
The plan also includes making physical improvements to an existing facility so that it may be used as a shelter that meets the needs of the people who live there. The rule directs the City Manager to make a plan to improve the neighborhood within a 1,000-foot radius of the shelter site. This is meant to help both residents and businesses in the area.
The concept has cleared a major hurdle, but it still needs to be approved by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD). If it gets the green light, the shelter could be a key part of Kansas City’s fight against homelessness, bringing housing, healthcare, and jobs all together in one place.
