Shelters Shut Down: Kansas City shelters are closing after their winter season, forcing homeless people to find another place to stay

As summer weather rolls in and it appears safer for homeless people to sleep outside, local homeless shelters are scaling back their operations. 

Although most of them still provide relief programs, many closures leave homeless individuals with few other options for shelter. The high prices for houses also make it difficult for low-wage employees to afford a place to stay. 

The homeless population in and around Kansas City has grown about 27% due to the COVID-19 pandemic, according to KCUR.org. A number of people haven’t recovered from the effects the pandemic had on them and their finances, and they continue to seek shelter at places that only allow this protection during the winter. However, this need for protection doesn’t subside with warmer weather. 

“Mainly I just see an increased need for things [after the shelters close] but without shelter it’s harder to live and get a job and maintain your belongings,” senior and Uplift, a local homelesness community service group, volunteer James Schipfer said. 

With the homeless population in Johnson County reaching over 2,000 individuals, a 16% increase since 2007, over an eighth of those people are left without a place to stay when shelters are closed in the summer.

Another challenge is that some homeless shelters who partner with local churches force the people seeking refuge with them to participate in activities or groups that might go against the person’s religion according to the Kansas City Star. They’re also faced with anti-LGBTQ+ shelters rejecting their stay because of their gender or sexuality. 

Project 10-20 — the only shelter available for single adults experiencing homelessness in Johnson County — only offers shelter services during the winter and late fall. The shelter is located at 9400 Pflumm in Lenexa, Kansas, in a building that can accommodate up to 30 individuals each night.

Project 10-20 shelter provides food, item storage and a safe place to sleep during the winter according to the owner and co-founder Barb McEver. They arrange a case worker and help their guests get back on their feet year-round. But without a place to stay in the summer, it’s hard for these individuals to find a safe and consistent shelter and they’re more likely to lose their job.

“I can’t imagine sleeping behind a QuikTrip and then getting up the next day to go to work,” said McEver. “You can’t get yourself ready to where you feel comfortable and confident and presentable.”

During the pandemic, people with COVID-19-related hardships such as job loss and illness were once protected by the National Eviction Moratorium. Lifted on June 29, 2021, the Moratorium has left people unable to pay taxes or rent without a safety net that they depended on in the past year.

The price of homes also went up dramatically during the pandemic as people moved in from larger cities. People looking to buy a home in the Johnson County area are met with high-priced homes and competitive bids that become impossible to compete with according to Realestate US News. Even with a decent amount of money saved up and a steady job, people can’t be guaranteed a place to live that’s both safe and affordable. 

“We are navigating a very strong seller’s market currently,” local real estate agent Erin Dreiling said. “With a depleted inventory of homes and high buyer demand, buyers are having to be more competitive than ever before. The intensity of the market and demands on buyers are squeezing some buyers out of the market completely.”

With little chance of purchasing a house, there are only a few options left.  

“Some people we are able to get into housing, a lot of them are couch-surfing, and a lot of people are in tents or just roaming the streets [in the summer],” McEver said.

The Kansas City Star recently highlighted the immediate need for a year-round homeless shelter. Although outreach programs and volunteers do all they can to help the homeless population, a more permanent and accessible option needs to be available to the public. 

The new Homeless Prevention Coordinator for Kansas City Josh Henges plans to turn two former hotels into a permanent transitional and emergency housing area for homeless citizens according to the kcmo.gov. Although it’s impossible to fully eliminate homelessness, donations to Project 10-20, the Salvation Army and reStart Inc. to help grow their facilities can assist local people getting back on their feet.