KANSAS CITY, Mo. — People in the Kansas City area who are experiencing homelessness now have a designated parking area downtown.
Located at 13th and Charlotte streets, the St. Mary’s Episcopal Church’s parking lot will be available from 6 p.m. to 6 a.m. for those in need.
“This is an asset that we have, this parking lot,” Rev. Charles Everson, of St. Mary’s Episcopal Church, said. “And it's not being used during the time frames that we're talking about, so why not put it to use for this purpose?”
Everson said individuals who would like to use the parking area must apply through Merging KC or be referred by a case worker.
“The folks that we are inviting to park here and sleep are already in a situation where they're working with some sort of a case worker and they're already receiving services of various levels from different organizations,” Everson said.
The lot has “parking arms,” according to Everson, and people will have a code to get into the area.
Merging KC, an organization with the goal of ending homelessness, coordinates with the city to provide port-a-potties, while Care Beyond the Boulevard offers medical services weekly.
More information can be found on the Merging KC website.
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