These KC organizations helping unhoused youth just won city grants to help
In an effort to reduce youth homelessness, Kansas City’s Housing and Community Development Department has awarded three local nonprofit organizations $800,000 in Zero KC Grants.
The new grant intends to address the rising crisis of youth homelessness in Kansas City, according to HCDD.
Zero KC is Kansas City’s strategic plan to end homelessness with seven priorities. Investing in low-barrier shelters, increasing street outreach presence, implementing a repeatable Extreme Weather Plan, and engaging neighborhoods and business communities are just some of the goals.
The plan aims to make homelessness a rare, brief and nonrecurring phenomenon.
According to the HCDD, between 2023 and 2024, there’s been an increase in youth homelessness, with an estimated 33% increase. The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development estimated that in 2024, more than 350 individuals were unhoused in the Kansas City metro.
To target these growing rates, the department sponsored grants focused on dedicated services for youth. In October, the program launched its grant application.
“While youth homelessness is often underreported, the need is very real,” said Blaine Proctor, Director of Housing and Community Development, in a press release. “This year’s Zero KC Grant awards reflect our focused commitment to building capacity and services for young people experiencing homelessness in Kansas City.”
From more than 150 applicants, the awardee organizations were decided Thursday, June 26. Synergy Services Inc. and reStart Inc. each won $300,000. Artists Helping the Homeless won $200,000.
ReStart Inc., which provides emergency shelter and wrap-around services, plans to use the grant to provide more emergency and transitional housing. Synergy Services provides shelter for emergencies, transitioning life stages and domestic violence victims. They plan to expand these services, among others.
Filling the gaps
Artists Helping the Homeless plans to use the funds to operate their transitional and supportive housing program. This program uses five residential properties and partnerships with the Salvation Army to provide transitional housing, transportation and wraparound services to unhoused young men.
The organization began with artists selling their art to raise funds to support a meal program for unhoused individuals. Kar Woo, the founder, saw that there were gaps that needed to be filled and made it his mission to provide housing and support services for the region’s unhoused community.
“Our goal is to reduce the need and cost of care for the homeless in the communities we serve,” said Russ Townsley, the administrative director.
The grant will go toward operating the respite house in South Kansas City, which targets young men who lack the resources to identify, access and follow through with available services to address the issues that led to or resulted from their being unhoused, said Townsley.
“We think it’s a great investment by the city and it’s encouraging for a small organization like ours,” said Townsley. “It indicates that the city is placing confidence in what we do and our results.”
The vision of the organization is to provide aid with respect and to fill the gaps that others don’t, he said.
“If you’re doing it alone, you can become discouraged very easily, and we try to provide the support so that doesn’t happen,” said Townsley.
