Julia Williams
Julia Williams
Editor-in-Chief
Members from Creative Innovative — a Kansas City, social services organization — and The National Coalition for the Homeless — a nonprofit unhoused prevention organization in Washington D.C. — joined Independence Avenue Community Improvement District (CID) Team Resource Manager Laura Birdsong on Tuesday, Aug. 19 for a Gator utility vehicle tour of alleyways along Independence Avenue, bringing attention toward area unhoused encampments.
National Coalition for the Homeless Deputy Director Megan Hustings flew to Kansas City from Washington D.C. to visit several locations and organizations around Kansas City with unhoused encampment experience including — but not limited to — Hope Faith Ministries, Morningstar Community Youth Center and the Independence Avenue CID.
“We try to create space to reach out,” Executive Director and CEO of Creative Innovative and Community Engagement, Anton Washington said, Tuesday. “We’re trying to identify how to move them,” he shared in reference to the unhoused populating sidewalks, vacant lots and alleyways along Independence Avenue.
The increase of unhoused individuals within the Historic Northeast, he shared, has left a negative impact on nearby business and contributed to closures and broken windows.
“Businesses don’t deserve this; it has stopped businesses from making money,” he said.
Creative Innovative — as well as the National Coalition for the Homeless — works to offer solutions to this increasing situation. Washington shared that at Creative Innovative, they concentrate on focus-driven solutions that include everyone, which he said is a vital element for success.
A few areas Birdsong highlighted on Tuesday’s tour included an apartment building at the intersection of Bales and Morrell Avenues, which has created challenges for landlords as individuals have not received services in this area.
Just a couple streets over, Birdsong showed an alley near Bales and Independence Avenues, which has received beautification efforts. These include murals on two buildings opposite of each other along Bales Avenue. These works were painted by local artists Become More and Kye Stone. She shared that the Independence Avenue CID has offered the unhoused community the opportunity to take ownership of this alley — allowing individuals to assist with this mural project in exchange for waste management.
“Every battle is from a broken spirit,” Birdsong said on Tuesday. “We allow people self-worth.”
She shared that Independence Avenue CID street ambassadors will conduct move-outs of alleyway encampments along the Avenue in certain situations. This could result from acts of violence, overcrowding or persistent problems related to substance abuse and littered hypodermic needles.
However, in these instances, Birdsong said individuals and encampments will be notified at least one month ahead of time. “If we’re going to present a problem, we offer a solution,” she shared.
Throughout the tour, Birdsong was able to share data with the National Coalition for the Homeless and Creative Innovative that she had collected regarding addiction, incarceration and homelessness through her nonprofit, “Beyond the Walls” — a prison advocacy organization.
An alleyway at the intersection of Monroe and Independence Avenues was additionally featured on this tour — where members from Creative Innovative had an opportunity to interact with a few individuals.
“The community doesn’t feel safe, the City and State need to understand that,” Washington said, Tuesday. “Other organizations overlap, that’s how we see all of these issues. All of the City services don’t quite work. We need housing; we are 64,000 units short in Kansas City, along Independence Avenue and Prospect,” he said. “We need to create a space for these individuals. Everyone’s life is different, we need to create a need before it gets there.”
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