KC green-lights $7.1M for low-barrier shelter
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The City Council approved $7.1 million to fund a new low-barrier shelter for people experiencing homelessness.
Why it matters: The shelter will offer private rooms and medical care to people who often can't access traditional shelter services, including those who don't have identification, are struggling with health conditions or are living unsheltered long-term.
What's inside: According to a city press release, the shelter at 5100 Linwood Blvd. will be operated by local nonprofit Care Beyond the Boulevard and will include:
- 24/7 individual beds with medical respite services
- On-site case management and housing navigation support
- Job training and employment support
What they're saying: "This will be Kansas City's first low-barrier non-congregate shelter, specifically designed to remove barriers such as curfews, gender-based restrictions," councilmember Melissa Patterson Hazley, who represents the third district at-large and sponsored the ordinance, said in a statement to Axios.
Follow the money: The funding comes from unallocated HOME Investment Partnership American Rescue Plan (HOME-ARP) money approved in 2022.
- The ordinance also directs the city manager to develop a plan to improve the surrounding neighborhood.
Context: Care Beyond the Boulevard started in 2016 as a volunteer mobile clinic operating from the back of a pickup.
- It now runs the Big Green Bus, delivering medical care to unhoused and uninsured Kansas Citians.
What's next: The project must still be approved by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development before the shelter can open.
- Renovations are expected to begin by late summer, with completion projected in early 2026, pending permits and supply chain availability.