When activated, coordination is underway with city staff, service provider partners and various outreach teams to ensure anyone who needs a warm shelter will have a place to go.

“The extreme weather plan was a huge success in helping our most vulnerable residents have a safe and warm place to stay,” the City’s website says about last year’s plan. “The emergency overflow center was open for a total of 26 nights and housed 718 individuals throughout this winter season.”

This season, City Council has unanimously approved the ZeroCK extreme weather plan, adding 154 beads throughout the city’s shelter system.

These additional beds will be supported by providers who have processes in place to assist residents in the move toward permanent housing, according to the City’s announcement.

The additional beds will always be open between December 1 and February 28. The first snowfall is expected tonight, November 14, and the region has already experienced freezing temperatures.

Hope Faith, a daytime shelter at 705 Virginia Ave., plans to add 80 men’s beds. Shelter KC at 2611 E. 11th St. plans to add 15, True Light at 712 E. 31st will add 10 women’s beds and two family rooms, ReStart at 918 E. 9th will add 15 single rooms and two family rooms, and City Union Mission will add 15 men’s beds and 15 women’s beds.

CORE will do outreach to encampments, and the City will store donated items at Hope Faith, making it easier for outreach teams to get items as they go. The partners will work with the Kansas City Area Transportation Authority (KCATA) on bus transportation.

These resources are in addition to those provided to individuals experiencing homelessness year-round.

The Northeast News will continue to share information about services and changes to plans to serve Kansas City’s unhoused population during winter weather.