Kansas City leaders unveil ‘tiny-home’ village proposal to help address homelessness
Kansas City officials say they are exploring a new initiative that could create a village of tiny home-style housing for area residents experiencing homelessness.
Under consideration is a 150-bed village with easy-to-build shelters that range from single-person to family size. The exact location of the site has yet to be determined, but the city is seeking a space where housing, along with other social services, could be offered.
Mayor Quinton Lucas on Wednesday referenced the model home and the general concept as an initial step toward helping Kansas City’s homeless population by offering a sense of dignity and pride in housing options.
“We’ve recognized for too long — for years, for generations — we have not done enough,” the mayor said. “We have not done enough to be creative. We have not done enough to help people get back on their feet.”
“Kansas City is not looking the other way anymore,” Lucas added.
Over the next several weeks, City Manager Brian Platt said the aim would be to establish the first pilot community with dozens of units. From there, he said, the city would begin working with homeless people currently being housed in area hotels and encouraging them to take advantage of the new option.
Money to jump start the project would come from federal stimulus funds provided to Kansas City to alleviate the economic hardships endured amid the COVID-19 pandemic, Platt said.
“This is a big part of that recovery and relief for people in the city,” Platt said. “For the people who are most vulnerable and most in need, this is going to go a long way.”
From a financial perspective, Platt said the costs associated with creating the village would be far lower than what the city is currently spending to house homeless residents in area hotels. He also called the proposed village a more permanent and sustainable model.
The proposal is part of a collaboration with other area nonprofits working to help under-served communities in the city.
Houston DeFoe, co-founder of area nonprofit Merging KC, said part of the village would include a community building where residents could learn essential skills some may need to live more independently. He added that there is also space planned to keep caseworkers from various nonprofits on the site 24 hours per day, seven days per week.
“This is kind of a game changer,” DeFoe said. “A lot of times our houseless friends don’t get to see their caseworkers every day. They’re living out in the woods, they’re living behind a building. They just don’t get that kind of support.”
A tiny home set up in Bartle Hall showed the concept city officials hope could be part of the solution toward providing shelter to those in need. The one-room shelter featured an air conditioner, windows and a locking door. On its shelves were picture frames, cups, bowls, canned goods and boxes of frosted wheat cereal.
Several people, including the mayor, toured the inside of the 64-square-foot unit on Wednesday. Another was James Shelby, 60, who goes by Qadahfi and is the leader of the KC Homeless Union.
“Everything is perfect,” he said of the shelter, adding: “This is all some people need.”
The concept was highlighted as one of several long-term solutions the city is examining to address what city leaders are calling a crisis. Area activists have highlighted the issue recently, including by staging a months-long political protest on the south lawn of City Hall, and called upon city officials to take action.
On April 8, City Council members unanimously adopted a measure that could provide up to 500 hotel rooms as temporary housing for up to 90 days.
It was a fast-tracked proposal agreed on by Lucas and the Kansas City Homeless Union following several days of discussions between city officials and the union. The hotels are being paid for through U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development funds allocated to the city.
The majority of the people who relocated to hotel rooms the day after the resolution was passed had been living in an encampment of dozens of tents that filled the south lawn at City Hall. The camp was established in February as a protest site advocating for the needs of Kansas City’s homeless community.
Lucas, at the time of the hotel announcement, also said he was seeking support for longer-term solutions. Lucas said the 90 days would give time for stakeholders to work on two other goals: a land bank for permanent housing and a workforce initiative.
Hotels removed and added
Chris Hernandez, a city spokesman, confirmed Wednesday that guests were being moved out of two of the hotels and into other area hotels.
“We have been getting some complaints about disrespectful treatment by hotel management of our residents,” he said. “We want to insist that all of our residents are treated with respect.”
The city asked the hotels to send them rates and their number of rooms available. Hernandez said one hotel that individuals were moved out of Tuesday came back with “very expensive rates” and wanted more of an “all or none” proposition.
“We didn’t think that was fiscally responsible because we need to be flexible based on the need, so we didn’t want to lock into a situation where we’d be paying for rooms that we weren’t using,” he said.
They currently have about a dozen hotels involved in the program.
As of Tuesday, Hernandez said they have approximately 350 rooms, depending on the day. Some rooms accommodate families or couples, so they can house more than 350 people.
The city has also partnered with local agencies to provide wraparound services to the guests, including medical care, counseling and employment services. He added that some individuals have been able to move into more permanent housing.
Reconciliation Services makes visits to help people get IDs and other personal documents. Other nonprofits, including Jewish Family Services and ReNewed Hope, have been working with Harvesters to supply fresh fruit and non-perishable products. Volunteers with Free Hot Soup are signing volunteers up to bring meals to the hotel on a schedule.
This story was originally published April 28, 2021 at 5:19 PM.
