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OPENPUBLICA · PUBLIC MEETING RECORD

Record of Proceedings

Kansas City Council Business Session: Homeless Services Presentation and Minutes Approval - February 24, 2022

City Council Business Session — Thursday, February 24, 2022

BodyKansas City, Missouri

SessionCity Council Business Session

DateThursday, February 24, 2022

StatusFILED

Video Record

0:00 / 28:23

Transcript — VerbatimClick a timed line to jump · ⧉ to share it

3:19

Welcome to business session.

3:21

Our first item is approval of minutes for business session of February seventeenth.

3:24

Is there a motion?

3:25

So moved.

3:26

Second.

3:30

All opposed.

3:31

All right.

3:32

Motion passes.

3:33

Presentation by the city's house services director.

3:36

Sir.

3:41

Move on in.

3:42

All right.

3:42

Yep.

3:43

Go for it.

3:44

Appreciate you all's time.

3:50

I'm excited.

3:51

It's my third week here on the job for the city.

3:55

Um, it's it's everything that I thought it would be.

3:57

Um, and it has to me just limitless potential.

4:00

I'm I'm so excited and happy that the city chose to do this.

4:04

Um, and I'm honored that I got to do it.

4:07

It's it's really special.

4:09

Um, a little bit of background on me, um, because I really want to be uh an asset and a resource to to all of you and all of your districts.

4:16

And it's it'll probably help if I get to know each each one of you and get to know what needs you have specifically in your district, what you're seeing.

4:24

Um, so just a little bit about me and and my history.

4:27

Um the first uh houseless person I ever saw was it's it was in the footprint of where the performing arts center is now.

4:35

Um, I was a kid, it was about five years old.

4:38

And uh my mom was trying to explain homelessness to me, and I was just too young to understand it.

4:43

And from then, um, I was fascinated immensely um by solving that problem because it just didn't make sense to me.

4:48

We were super poor, but it wasn't that bad.

4:52

You know, we didn't have it that bad, and it just I couldn't understand it.

4:55

Um, and from then I I've truly been obsessed in a in a good way, not in a right stuff on my wall with red lines and no, just a regular obsession.

5:03

Um so I started a homeless program in college, it's still going to this day.

5:07

Um, and my first paid gig was at Kids TLC in Olatha, Kansas, working with homeless youth.

5:12

Did that for about seven years and then worked with artists helping the homeless.

5:16

So I got to see the intersection of uh of health care and homelessness.

5:20

Um at kids TLC, I got to see the the intersection of the foster care system, um, LGBTQ plus, and um how the juvenile detention system kind of all influences homelessness.

5:33

Um after that, I worked with uh reconciliation services, Father Justin Matthews, who's incredible, and I got to see how uh private business and private enterprise and uh an entrepreneurial spirit can really help solve this problem as well.

5:46

Um and then, of course, I went to a veterans community project, and and there I really learned that anything is possible.

5:52

Absolutely anything is possible, um, and we can absolutely solve homelessness without question.

5:57

Um and I think Kansas City's poised to do it.

6:00

I really do, and and building off the momentum that this city and this council has already done, and and you, Mr.

6:05

Mayor, thank you so much for the support that you've given so far to homeless services to the houseless that are experiencing it right now.

6:12

Um I'm really excited, and I really think Kansas City is going to be seen as a city of influence in this country.

6:18

Um we straddle two states, which is something that a lot of cities don't have to uh navigate when they're trying to solve this problem.

6:25

We have great relationships, of course, with both sides and agencies on both sides.

6:29

Um Kansas City is set up really, really well, uh, and I hope I can play a really vital part in coordinating the efforts therein.

6:36

Um I think immediately what we're seeing is a very visible presence of homelessness in Kansas City and encampments that are that are kind of salted um through the city.

6:45

And I think immediately, and that's really been my last three weeks is and I did it before because I love street outreach.

6:52

Street out is it's been my it's kind of where I started, um, but really getting heavy into it these last three weeks to to see to find these bigger camps so that we can find a way to safely and humanely, and of course, with a person-centered approach, um, decommission them.

7:06

Um and the goal, of course, with anything homeless related is housing.

7:10

That is always got to be the goal, and that of course is has been the goal of the city and uh the nonprofits in the city that are doing the work.

7:18

Um I I believe too that one of the things that um I think would give a lot of voice to what the city is doing is to show what the city is doing.

7:28

Things like uh the minor home repair program are unbelievable.

7:32

My um the cubicle is right next to theirs.

7:36

And I get to hear the conversations that they're having every day, and I'm thinking if just this department was a nonprofit, it would be getting so much publicity for all the good that they're doing.

7:44

Um, and I would love to be a part of blasting that through the city to show how much is is going on in the cities, how much good is going on, what a force for good.

7:54

So many people that work here are.

7:56

Um so I'd love to be a part of um kind of showcasing the work that we're doing, not only on the streets, but in and preventing houselessness as well, and that's what that minor home repair program does.

8:07

Um I definitely I mean we're we're mired in the the initial problem that we're seeing with all the camps, but but prevention is in the name of the title, um, and prevention is a much bigger um, but it's a it's a it's more solvable problem.

Discussion Breakdown — Share of Meeting

Homelessness█████████████████████████████████████████████50%

Historic Preservation██████████████████20%

Affordable Housing███████8%

Mental Health Awareness███████8%

Public Works███████8%

Personnel Matters█████6%

Summary of Proceedings

Kansas City Council Business Session: Homeless Services Presentation and Minutes Approval - February 24, 2022

The Kansas City Council held a business session on February 24, 2022, approving the previous meeting's minutes and receiving a presentation from the city's new Homeless Services Director. The director discussed his background, current outreach efforts, the extreme weather plan, and the upcoming point-in-time count. Council members raised questions about encampments, emergency shelter capacity, and coordination with other departments. No ordinances were discussed, and the meeting adjourned.

Consent Calendar

Approval of Minutes (February 17, 2022): A motion to approve the minutes was made, seconded, and passed with no opposition.

Discussion Items

Presentation by Homeless Services Director: The director (identified as Josh) introduced himself, sharing his background in homeless services, including work at Kids TLC, Reconciliation Services, and the Veterans Community Project. He expressed confidence that Kansas City can solve homelessness and emphasized that housing remains the ultimate goal. He described current efforts to coordinate outreach teams, meet weekly on Tuesdays, and address visible encampments safely and humanely. He also praised the minor home repair program and the partnership with the Parks Department.
Q&A on Immediate Encampment Concerns: Councilwoman Boo asked about immediate action at 103rd Street Indian Creek. The director explained that coordinated outreach teams target specific sites and conduct housing assessments, and he cited approximately 109 encampments in the city.
Extreme Weather Plan and Point-in-Time Count: Councilwoman Parkshaw requested updates. The director said the extreme weather plan has operated smoothly, with Hope Faith providing transportation and a donation center supplying outreach teams. The emergency shelter has roughly 100 beds, though capacity fluctuates and is not strictly gender-designated. The goal during extreme weather is no injury or death. The point-in-time count, required by HUD, is scheduled for the following week after an extension; it typically undercounts by three to four times actual numbers.
Councilman Allen's Concerns: Councilman Allen asked for detailed process procedures, outreach team follow-ups, mental health services, and a breakdown of shelter bed spaces by gender. The director acknowledged ambiguity in the emergency shelter operations and agreed to provide documentation. Another council member interjected to clarify the difference between emergency shelters and the overflow shelter.
Encampment Data and Parks Coordination: Councilman Barnes asked about the fluidity of encampment numbers; the director explained that the count changes weekly. Councilwoman Hall asked whether homelessness services would remain under the Parks Department; the director clarified that collaboration exists only because many large camps are in parks.

Key Outcomes

Minutes Approved: The February 17, 2022 minutes were approved unanimously.
Follow-up Information Requested: Councilman Allen requested additional data on encampments, procedures, and shelter capacity; the director committed to providing it.
No Ordinances Considered: The item for ordinances or late matters was called, but none were discussed, and the meeting adjourned.

Additional Informal Remarks

After the meeting adjourned, participants discussed the first-ever set of Negro Leagues commemorative coins. Three coins (gold, silver, and clad half-dollar) will be minted, featuring Andrew Rube Foster, founder of the Negro National League. Full coin sales could raise $6 million in surcharges for the Negro Leagues Baseball Museum.

Meeting Transcript

Welcome to business session. Our first item is approval of minutes for business session of February seventeenth. Is there a motion? So moved. Second. All opposed. All right. Motion passes. Presentation by the city's house services director. Sir. Move on in. All right. Yep. Go for it. Appreciate you all's time. I'm excited. It's my third week here on the job for the city. Um, it's it's everything that I thought it would be. Um, and it has to me just limitless potential. I'm I'm so excited and happy that the city chose to do this. Um, and I'm honored that I got to do it. It's it's really special. Um, a little bit of background on me, um, because I really want to be uh an asset and a resource to to all of you and all of your districts. And it's it'll probably help if I get to know each each one of you and get to know what needs you have specifically in your district, what you're seeing. Um, so just a little bit about me and and my history. Um the first uh houseless person I ever saw was it's it was in the footprint of where the performing arts center is now. Um, I was a kid, it was about five years old. And uh my mom was trying to explain homelessness to me, and I was just too young to understand it. And from then, um, I was fascinated immensely um by solving that problem because it just didn't make sense to me. We were super poor, but it wasn't that bad. You know, we didn't have it that bad, and it just I couldn't understand it. Um, and from then I I've truly been obsessed in a in a good way, not in a right stuff on my wall with red lines and no, just a regular obsession. Um so I started a homeless program in college, it's still going to this day. Um, and my first paid gig was at Kids TLC in Olatha, Kansas, working with homeless youth. Did that for about seven years and then worked with artists helping the homeless. So I got to see the intersection of uh of health care and homelessness. Um at kids TLC, I got to see the the intersection of the foster care system, um, LGBTQ plus, and um how the juvenile detention system kind of all influences homelessness. Um after that, I worked with uh reconciliation services, Father Justin Matthews, who's incredible, and I got to see how uh private business and private enterprise and uh an entrepreneurial spirit can really help solve this problem as well. Um and then, of course, I went to a veterans community project, and and there I really learned that anything is possible. Absolutely anything is possible, um, and we can absolutely solve homelessness without question. Um and I think Kansas City's poised to do it. I really do, and and building off the momentum that this city and this council has already done, and and you, Mr. Mayor, thank you so much for the support that you've given so far to homeless services to the houseless that are experiencing it right now. Um I'm really excited, and I really think Kansas City is going to be seen as a city of influence in this country. Um we straddle two states, which is something that a lot of cities don't have to uh navigate when they're trying to solve this problem. We have great relationships, of course, with both sides and agencies on both sides. Um Kansas City is set up really, really well, uh, and I hope I can play a really vital part in coordinating the efforts therein. Um I think immediately what we're seeing is a very visible presence of homelessness in Kansas City and encampments that are that are kind of salted um through the city. And I think immediately, and that's really been my last three weeks is and I did it before because I love street outreach. Street out is it's been my it's kind of where I started, um, but really getting heavy into it these last three weeks to to see to find these bigger camps so that we can find a way to safely and humanely, and of course, with a person-centered approach, um, decommission them.

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