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[COMMITTEE SUBSTITUTE FOR] ORDINANCE NO. 230824
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Sponsor: Councilmember Ryana Parks-Shaw
Directing the Director of Health to utilize $2,268,752.11 from the Unappropriated Fund Balance of the Health Levy Fund and $2,631,247.89 from the Unappropriated Fund Balance of the Opioid Program Fund to support the expansion of medically assisted treatment (MAT) programs, Safe Haven beds, and respite beds in Kansas City, Missouri to support the treatment and rehabilitation of individuals recovering from persistent substance use disorder, including those who are unhoused; appropriating $2,268,752.11 in the Health Levy Fund; estimating revenue of $911,179.34 in the Opioid Program Fund; appropriating $2,631,247.89 in the Opioid Program Fund; and designating requisitioning authority.
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WHEREAS, substance use disorder contributed to at least 305 deaths in Kansas City, Missouri in 2022; and
WHEREAS the Kansas City metropolitan region had a 22% increase in drug overdose deaths between 2021 and 2022, representing the largest increase of any region in the state; and
WHEREAS, the overdose death rate in Black residents of the Kansas City metropolitan area was nearly two times higher than that of White residents of the Kansas City metropolitan area in 2022; and
WHEREAS, the Kansas City, Missouri City Council has made a commitment to eradicating chronic houselessness; and
WHEREAS, substance use overdoses continue to increase at the state, county, and local levels; and
WHEREAS, medically-assisted treatment is proven to reduce substance use, but is a tool that is underutilized in Kansas City; and
WHEREAS, Safe Haven and respite beds provide low-barrier support for substance use treatment in ways that are not currently available in currently available shelter options; and
WHEREAS, stigma remains as a significant barrier to health care providers offering treatment to...
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