Bitter cold weather sends more people to KC shelters
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Kansas City's cold snap last weekend pushed shelters and warming sites to their limits, resurfacing the question of how the city can increase its shelter space.
Why it matters: When temperatures plunge, getting people experiencing homelessness indoors becomes a greater safety issue.
By the numbers: Up to 931 beds are available across eight partner shelters during extreme cold, according to the city.
- About 790 of those beds operate nightly from Dec. 1 to March 1, with the rest added as temperatures fall.
- More than 2,200 people in the KC metro are unhoused, per 2024 point-in-time count data used by the city.
- The Greater Kansas City Coalition to End Homelessness marked 45 deaths in KC in 2022, with organizers saying most were tied to exposure during extreme weather.
What they're saying: Josh Henges, chief impact officer for the city's Office of Unhoused Solutions, tells Axios the data "offers a broad snapshot of homelessness in KC and includes various types of homelessness, such as individuals staying in their cars, families, youth and veterans."
- "Of the approximately 2,200 people counted, not everyone needs a shelter bed, and not everyone will accept one," Henges says.
State of play: The city activated its Zero KC Extreme Weather Plan as temperatures dropped, triggering a tiered shelter response that adds beds at 32°, 25° and 10°. This weekend's lows hovered around 0° to 1°.
- People looking for a warm place also turned to shelters outside the city plan, including Shelter KC, which previously had expanded their capacity of 120 beds during extreme cold, according to KMBC.
Flashback: City Council approved $7.1 million this summer to fund a new low-barrier shelter at 5100 Linwood Blvd., to be operated by Care Beyond the Boulevard using HOME Investment Partnership American Rescue Plan (HOME-ARP) funding.
- The number of beds in this new location has not been specified.
What's next: The renovations are projected to wrap up early this year, pending permits and supply chain availability. An exact date has not yet been released.
Go deeper: People seeking information about shelter can call the city's cold-weather hotline at 816-513-3699.
- Here's a list of warming centers and shelters around the KC metro.