KANSAS CITY, Mo. — When winter weather arrives in Kansas City, many people experiencing homelessness rely on agencies like Hope Faith to keep warm.
“It’s dangerous and that’s the reality, and if folks are outside at some point, the weather can kill them,” said Josh Henges, Kansas City's houseless prevention coordinator.
Trying to survive in this weather can be dangerous, so the doors at places like Hope Faith are open.
“It’s what we are here for," said Henges. "It’s a big deal when the weather gets bad, we want to make sure we have a safe, warm place for people to be."
Henges said the cold weather planning committee has been preparing for days like this since February of 2023 to ensure they have enough beds.
“This year we have the largest number of beds available and the largest number of locations; we’ve got eight locations providing shelter and space,” Henges said. "For example, if women wanted a specific spot, we want to make sure that is covered the best we could, if folks are looking to get into treatment, we want to make sure that spot was covered as well.”
However, as temperatures continue to drop into the negative numbers this weekend, Henges said they are continuing to make sure they are ready to keep folks warm.
“For people who are reluctant to come into shelter, this is the time that they do, you need to have a spot open and available for these folks,” Henges said.
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