After recent roundtable discussions on long-term solutions to homelessness in the community, Wichita and Sedgwick County leaders have drafted a letter to Kansas Governor Laura Kelly to ask for state funding to put solutions into effect.

There have been five roundtable discussions over the past two months with Wichita City Council members, Sedgwick County commissioners, members of the Kansas Legislature and officials from local non-profit agencies.   The discussions have centered on a Multi-Agency Center that the City of Wichita is developing with plans to open the facility in 2026. The city has identified a funding gap of $22 million in financing the MAC.

Sedgwick County Commissioners voted Wednesday to approve the letter that will be sent to Governor Kelly, asking for $50 million in state funding from the fiscal year 2025 budget.   Commissioner Ryan Baty is urging the governor to consider the funding and implement it in a way that local municipalities “can have the infrastructure in order to perform the services they need to meet these challenges.”   Commissioner Jim Howell said the roundtable discussions were bipartisan and productive and moving toward real solutions.  He feels there’s a good chance of getting state help in the next year with the strategy that has been developed.

A temporary homeless shelter was opened on December 1st at the former Fundamental Learning Center near 21st and Grove, and it will house around 250 individuals during the winter months.  The City of Wichita and HumanKind Ministries are operating the shelter with help from other agencies, and it will be open through the end of March.