After years of talk about a much-needed homeless shelter, KC has a site & a plan

Kansas City may take a big step toward meeting the first goal in its plan to end homelessness published three years ago — approving a proposal for a low-barrier shelter.

Such shelters accept people without requiring participation in things like religious programs. They’re considered a key step in reducing the population of people living outside, and most cities of Kansas City’s size have one.

City officials have eyed using federal grant funds to help support a shelter for years but until this week had not settled on a specific plan.

The City Council approved a $7.1 million award for Care Beyond the Boulevard, a nonprofit that provides medical care and other services to homeless residents in Kansas City, to establish a low-barrier shelter for families and individuals at 5100 Linwood Boulevard.

The site is near the intersection of Linwood and Emanuel Cleaver II boulevards near Stadium Drive and was once a Days Inn and has already been used to provide services to homeless residents for the past few years.

It will be a non-congregate shelter, meaning those staying there would have their own space. Care Beyond the Boulevard would purchase the property.

The proposed shelter would have 39 beds, including at least 13 regular beds and around 26 beds for people who need a roof over their heads while recovering from injury or illness after being discharged from a hospital. Those numbers could fluctuate based on the need for medical beds. All beds are considered low-barrier.

Patients would be able to stay off the streets while they recover while also having access to medical care and other services to improve their health and outlook long-term.

The shelter would be open 24/7 and offer case management and other supportive services to those who stay there. Services would be free.

“This is the kind of forward-thinking, compassionate investment our city desperately needs,” council member Melissa Patterson Hazley of the Third District At-Large said in a statement. “This project is about dignity, health, and stability for people who have been left behind for far too long.”

Medical, other services available

Care Beyond the Boulevard is already using the site to provide 12 medical beds to those in need. The funding the committee advanced on Tuesday would help rehabilitate the building, including fixing the plumbing while increasing the number of beds and adding 24/7 medical staffing.

KK Assmann, founder and CEO of Care Beyond the Boulevard, told The Star that in a recent time period, around 70 patients were released from medical respite, and half of them did not return to the streets.

Patients have access to a host of medical treatments while under the group’s care, including psychology services, medication-assisted treatment for addiction, physical therapy, wound care, IV treatments and beyond, depending on their needs.

“We’re providing truly individualized care,” she said.

Residents who are receiving a traditional shelter bed would still have access to an array of services and care and would have easy access to medical staff if needed, Assmann said.

The City Council is expected to consider the award at a future date, and the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development would need to approve the proposal as well.

Gap in shelter beds

Kansas City has long faced a significant gap in permanent spaces that offer shelter without hurdles to jump through for homeless residents.

In August 2022, the City Council approved setting aside federal grant funds to help cover the costs of a non-congregate, low-barrier shelter to help close that gap.

Last spring, the city put out a call for proposals from organizations to provide such a shelter.

Care Beyond the Boulevard had since been identified to receive some of the federal funding to provide services. The city had also previously discussed working with Hope Faith, another group that provides services for homeless residents, on a low-barrier shelter, but the organization’s plan did not fit the requirements of the federal grant funding.

The finance committee on Tuesday voted to recommend awarding $7.1 million in federal grant funds to Care Beyond the Boulevard to renovate and operate the Linwood shelter space. The plan also directs the city manager to come up with a plan to maintain and enhance the area around the shelter.

The City Council approved the award on Thursday, and the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development would need to approve the proposal before it can move forward.

Site already used to help homeless population

The former hotel property has already been used to provide services to homeless Kansas Citians. In 2021, the city approved providing $400,000 in funding for the Lotus Care House, which offered shelter and a full suite of services at the same site to homeless residents to help them transition into permanent housing.

Care Beyond provided medical respite beds for the Lotus Care House, which has since ceased operations. Care Beyond has continued to provide services in the building as the group works to purchase and rehab it.

Tuesday’s proposal represents a major step in addressing homelessness in Kansas City and following through on plans laid out years ago.

Officials have made clear their goal to beef up access to services and the number of beds for homeless residents, but the city has faced hurdles in carrying out plans including concerns from neighborhood residents.

The Kansas City area has the highest percentage of people experiencing chronic homelessness living unsheltered of any major U.S. city, according to a 2023 report by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. Of 280 individuals experiencing chronic homelessness in the area at that time, nearly 96% were living outside.

This story was originally published July 22, 2025 at 6:41 PM.