Julia Williams
Julia Williams
Editor-in-Chief
A project over two years — and two main requests for proposals (RFP) — in the making, the $7.1 million low barrier shelter project will come to fruition.
In efforts to increase resources and services available to Kansas City’s unhoused population, the Kansas City City Council passed Ordinance 250582, sponsored by 3rd District-at-Large Councilwoman Melissa Patterson Hazley, on July 25 to fund a new low barrier shelter. In partnership with Care Beyond the Boulevard (5100 Linwood Blvd.) — a grassroots, nonprofit, medical care clinic, just South of the Blue Valley neighborhood — this $7.1 million investment will aid the nonprofit in purchasing and renovating what was once a hotel turned unhoused service center ran by Lotus Care House, to provide medical respite and 365 shelter in a non-congregant setting.
“We’re providing beds for a population we desperately want to take care of; I’m excited to see this,” Director of Housing and Community Development for the City of Kansas City Blaine Proctor said in an interview.
This ordinance works in connection with the City of Kansas City’s “Zero KC” initiative, which went into effect in 2022 — a five pillar, seven priority plan to end homelessness across the City. Of these seven priorities includes a low barrier, emergency shelter to offer 365 day services, from providing beds to meals to those in need of housing and assistance.
Through a second priority of Zero KC — a repeatable extreme weather plan — the City established a cold weather strategy, which has worked with various organizations from Hope Faith Ministries (705 Virginia Ave.) to City Union Mission (1310 Wabash Ave.) to provide shelter from Nov. 1 to April 1. From this plan, the City has pulled five different providers, including Shelter KC and City Union Mission, who currently offer low barrier shelter in addition to the months from November to April. Proctor clarified that Care Beyond the Boulevard’s new shelter will be adding 39 beds to Kansas City’s already existing 125 beds that are currently available.
The Selection Process
The original RFP the City was considering and working with over the past two years came from Hope Faith Ministries. In fact, it was not until 60 days ago that the City met with Hope Faith and decided to go a different direction.
“We were hoping to have the largest number of shelter beds from the [selected] facility,” Proctor said in an interview. “When it came down to it, we mutually agreed that what [Hope Faith] was seeking to do with [the] funds wasn’t possible due to the regulations that that specific funding had from the Department of Housing and Urban Development.”
One of those requirements stated that these specific funds, which were awarded from the City’s Housing and Community Development Department (HCDD) — more specifically its HOME Investment Partnership Program (HOME-ARP) — must be used to fund a non-congregate shelter, or a structure where each individual or family has their own space and facility.
However, as this system does not currently exist at Hope Faith, to incorporate these operations into its facility, Proctor shared, the nonprofit would have to complete a gut renovation with a new plumbing installation.
And while he shared that the City will continue to work with the organization on other projects, the two came to a mutual agreement that this allocated funding would not work for Hope Faith.
In addition to this decision, reactions from City Council as well as various community members led the City to reissue the RFP on this project to see what other providers may be able to participate. It was when the RFP was reissued that Care Beyond the Boulevard submitted a proposal to operate a low barrier shelter with this funding.
When the Department Housing and Urban Development agreed that this allocated funding could be used for low barrier medical respite, Proctor said that Care Beyond the Boulevard’s proposal became a perfect fit.
Medical respite, which Care Beyond the Boulevard has offered at its facility since 2021, Jaynell “KK” Assmann, family nurse practitioner, founder and CEO of Care Beyond the Boulevard shared, involves post-acute care. Traditionally, this focuses on those who are dismissed from the hospital but who still need antibiotics, wound care, IV’s, physical therapists or medical practitioners. Staff working with Care Beyond the Boulevard to provide medical respite, Assman said, are medical certified and the care varies based on each patient’s needs.
With these services, Proctor shared that the number of beds dedicated to Care Beyond the Boulevard for this low barrier shelter will fluctuate based on those needed for medical respite.
In the past 11 months, Assmann said they have increased their available bed capacity from six to 13.
Construction Challenges
Care Beyond the Boulevard has operated its medical respite services for the past four years at its location on Linwood Boulevard. Its site, which was formerly a Days Inn, was purchased by Lotus Care House — a former unhoused shelter. However, while Care Beyond the Boulevard and Lotus Care House were working together to provide assistance at this location, Care Beyond the Boulevard became the sole agency operating out of this location and providing medical respite in 2024 .
Though Care Beyond the Boulevard took over operating services, Assmann shared that the organization does not own the building.
“We need to purchase the building,” she said. “We don’t own the building, it’s a limiting factor; we cannot do improvements if we don’t own it.”
With purchasing the property and beginning initial renovations, Care Beyond the Boulevard is anticipating costs to trend upwards of $9 million. And with $4.7 million of the $7.1 million grant they are receiving allocated toward capital improvements, Assmann shared that while this funding will give them a jump start, they will still need to raise additional funding to complete this project.
As the structure was built in 1968, it requires various repairs to its plumbing system and staircase, among others.
And with this grant operating as a reimbursement grant, Care Beyond the Boulevard will need to spend the money on these improvements before it is refunded.
“It’s really important people understand when talking about grant funding that we haven’t gotten funding yet,” Assmann shared. “The City has approved it, it’s in HUD’s (Department of Housing and Urban Development’s) place.”
Awaiting Services
A factor, which Assman shared is distinct in Care Beyond the Boulevard’s plan is the dual service it will offer — a low barrier shelter and medical respite care.
“We know this is a much needed service,” she said. “Low barrier shelter and medical respite rooms have been full all the time.”
With its current medical services, Care beyond the Boulevard partners with various health care organizations including University Health and Kansas City University (KCU) connecting with their psychology departments to offer mental health services to patients.
In its expansion, the nonprofit plans to staff a full medical team, along with providing individualized and case management care, while continuing to collaborate with area organizations.
“Kansas City has tried to fix homelessness in one fell swoop; pushing everyone into a hotel with no services is not going to work,” Assmann said in an interview. “We need to go where the people are, bring the services to them.”
And as a nonprofit, these services, she shared, do not bill insurance and are free for those in need.
A current timeline for project completion is not yet finalized due to plumbing renovations required, as well as purchase of building.
For additional information on Care Beyond the Boulevard and this low barrier shelter, visit: https://www.carebeyondtheboulevard.org/, https://www.kcmo.gov/Home/Components/News/News/2551/231?npage=15.
admin
-
