Homelessness may not be your state of life, but it “absolutely” affects residents across Kansas.
That was the observation from Adele Honn, the director of the Kansas Statewide Homeless Coalition’s Information Management System, on KVOE’s most recent On-Air Chat program. Honn referenced the 2025 Point-in-Time Count, which had almost 40 residents listed as homeless on one night this past January.
Overall, the number of counted homeless people in Kansas declined from 1,089 last year to 883 this year. Unhoused individuals are, according to the federal Department of Housing and Urban Development, defined as in an emergency or temporary shelter, without a home or living in an unsafe location like a car or abandoned building. Chronic homelessness, meanwhile, signals at least a year being unhoused, homeless status at least four times in a given year or being homeless with disabilities, whether physical, mental or substance abuse-related.
Statewide, over 300 were listed as dealing with substance abuse disorders, nearly 250 were listed as having serious mental illnesses and over 150 adults were survivors of domestic violence. Nearly 50 veteran households were counted. Also, 20 percent of statewide homeless residents are currently employed. Twenty-one percent receive some level of benefits and 34 percent are homeless for the first time.
Honn says data is critical to setting policy.
Kansas Statewide Homeless Coalition Regional Coordinator Miranda Agnew says conversations with lawmakers often deal with funding, but they also deal with policy.
CrossWinds Counseling and Wellness Housing Specialist Joe Reed says there are “common denominators” for potential homelessness, but not everybody going though those situations automatically becomes homeless.
Reed says homeless residents often need “ongoing support” through case management and education in a variety of ways.
Reed says CrossWinds clients that are homeless will get 90-day treatment plans, including case management, and those can be reviewed for possible extension.
Agnew, meanwhile, says there are a fair amount of homeless residents who are going through a number of “first-time” life situations.
HUD has released its fiscal 2025 Continuum of Care Notice of Funding Opportunity, and the Kansas Balance of State Continuum of Care now has a web page available for grant submission guidance, application materials, deadlines and other information.
KVOE’s next On-Air Chat will be at 11:06 am Wednesday.
Click here for the link to the Statewide Homeless Coalition’s website.
Click here for the link to the HUD Notice of Funding Opportunity web page.
