ORDINANCE NO. 260140
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Sponsor: Mayor Pro Tem Ryana Parks-Shaw and Councilmember Johnathan Duncan
Establishing the Kansas City Housing Gateway Program; reducing previously appropriated funds in the General Fund by $1,000,000.00 and appropriating the same amount for the Kansas City Housing Gateway Program; directing the City Manager to establish an advisory board to provide strategic direction and ensure accountability for the implementation of the Kansas City Housing Gateway Program; directing the City Manager to report back to City Council within six (6) months with a comprehensive review of Kansas City’s homeless responses system and recommendations; authorizing the City Manager, or designee, to enter into agreements necessary related to the Kansas City Housing Gateway Program; and recognizing this ordinance as having an accelerated effective date
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WHEREAS, City Council passed Committee Substitute for Ordinance No. 231019 appropriating $1,000,000.00 to establish a Landlord Risk Mitigation Pilot Program to incentivize landlord participation in the Housing Choice Voucher Program; and
WHEREAS, City Council passed Resolution No. 220865 adopting the Zero KC strategic plan to address homelessness and passed Ordinance No. 220866 established the Houseless Advisory Commission to advise the City Council on houseless issues
WHEREAS, City Council passed Committee Substitute for Ordinance No. 250177 directing the City Manager to immediately and indefinitely pause the continuation of the Landlord Risk Mitigation Pilot Program or Property Owner Support Program until final resolution of the case Kennedy F. Jones, et al. v. City of Kansas City Missouri, Case No. 4:24-cv00649-RK; and
WHEREAS, Kansas City faces a worsening homelessness problem. Since 2018, unsheltered homelessness has increased by 168% with unsheltered homelessness accounting for 95.7% of chronic cases; and
WHEREAS, there is a current shortage of 64,000 affordable housing units in the Kansas City metropolitan area, with half of the renters in the region living in cost-burdened housing, paying more than 30% of their income towards housing. Kansas City’s rents are rising at one of the fastest paces in the U.S., with a 7% year-over-year increase in 2024. Rent growth has outpaced wage growth, making housing unaffordable for many residents; and
WHEREAS, homeless encampments are scattered throughout Kansas City, appearing under bridges, trails and vacant lots, causing issues with public safety, sanitation and disruption to neighborhoods and commercial activity; and
WHEREAS, Kansas City should not rely solely on federal vouchers to house its residents and must dramatically expand its housing access infrastructure by engaging with landlords for and developing model lease protections; and
WHEREAS, to rapidly advance the implementation of the Zero KC Plan and make reductions in homelessness, on December 15-18, 2025, the City, and the business community, convened two onsite workshops in partnership with the downtown business community facilitated by national homeless experts Mandy Semple Chapman from Clutch Consultants and Jim Mathy from Compass Consultants; and in partnership with business leaders, convened two onsite workshops facilitated by national homeless experts Mandy Semple Chapman from Clutch Consultants and Jim Mathy from Compass Consultants; and
WHEREAS, both consultants recommended the City establish a public-private partnership for the purpose of creating and administering a flexible, locally funded housing program that could allow for faster placements, the ability to serve populations left out by federal rules, and the power to move people directly from encampments into housing; and
WHEREAS, the City Council recognizes that addressing unsheltered and chronic homelessness requires targeted attention and innovative approaches to transform Kansas City's homeless response system; NOW, THEREFORE,
BE IT ORDAINED BY THE COUNCIL OF KANSAS CITY:
Section 1. That the City Manager is hereby directed to establish the Kansas City Housing Gateway Program in partnership with the business community. During this initial phase of the program, the City Manager shall seek to address unsheltered and chronic homelessness in Kansas City through identifying funding sources, conducting stakeholder outreach, developing a landlord engagement strategy, and providing programmatic guidelines.
Section 2. That the appropriation in the following account of the General Fund is reduced by the following amount:
26-1000-552516-B Landlord Programs $1,000,000.00
Section 3. That the sum of $1,000,000.00 is hereby appropriated from the Unappropriated Fund Balance of the General Fund to the following account:
26-1000-552518-B KC Housing Gateway Program $1,000,000.00
Section 4. The Kansas City Housing Gateway Program fund shall be used to provide rapid, needs-based financial assistance to individuals and households experiencing or at imminent risk of homelessness, including but not limited to short-term rental assistance, deposits, utility payments, transportation support, and other eligible expenses necessary to obtain or maintain safe and stable housing; and
Section 5. The City Manager will establish an advisory body composed of representatives from the Houseless Advisory Commission, the City, City Council and designated business and philanthropic leaders to provide strategic direction and ensure accountability for the implementation of the Kansas City Housing Gateway Program and related homeless response systems; and
Section 6. The City Manager shall report back to Council within six (6) months to provide a comprehensive review of Kansas City’s homeless response system and recommendations for addressing unsheltered and chronic homelessness issues within the City, within the guidelines provided in Section 1 of this Ordinance.
Section 7. The City Manager, or their designee, is authorized to enter into agreements necessary to implement and oversee the partnership and to ensure proper stewardship, accountability, and reporting related to the Kansas City Housing Gateway Program.
Section 8. That the Director of Housing is designated requisitioning authority for Account No. 26-1000-552518-B.
Section 9. That this Ordinance is recognized as an ordinance with an accelerated effective date as provided by Section 503(a)(3)(C) of the City Charter in that it appropriates money and shall take effect in accordance with that section.
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I hereby certify that there is a balance, otherwise unencumbered, to the credit of the appropriation to which the foregoing expenditure is to be charged, and a cash balance, otherwise unencumbered, in the treasury, to the credit of the fund from which payment is to be made, each sufficient to meet the obligation hereby incurred.
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William Choi
Interim Director of Finance
Approved as to form:
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Joseph A. Guarino
Senior Associate City Attorney