KSHB 41 reporter Olivia Acree covers portions of Johnson County, Kansas. Share your story idea with Olivia.
There’s no denying that winter is here, and cold weather shelters across Kansas City have opened their doors.
The Hope Faith shelter in Kansas City and Project 10 20 in Lenexa opened for the season Sunday. As the only cold weather shelter in Johnson County, Project 10 20 expects to hit its capacity quickly.
The city of Lenexa only allows the shelter to have 30 beds. President Barb McEver says she can’t imagine turning anyone away, so they fill the beds here then they try to find anyone else that walks into their doors a hotel room for a few nights or another shelter that isn’t full.
She worries about what they’ll do when their beds fill up.
“I'm concerned about this year, concerned how this is going to go. There isn’t any place for people to go when we reach 30, I don't know what to do with number 31 and beyond, and I know it's going to happen,” said Barbara McEver, Project 10 20 president.
Project 10 20 was one of the five non-profits that received part of Johnson County’s COVID-19 funds that were going to be used on the now failed homeless services center project. They were allocated $137,654 of the county’s $6.35 million.
McEver is happy to have some help from the county.
“It's gonna help us a lot. It will help with our nightly shelter operations. It will help with motel rooms, because I'm sure that's something that we're going to need,” said McEver.
McEver said the homeless services center would’ve been a step to address the growing homelessness problem in Johnson County. The shelter will continue to operate as normal and as the only low barrier shelter available to adults.
“I don't think we will operate any differently, but the people that it impacts are the people that are homeless. I mean, that's the real tragedy,” said McEver.
