Kansas City Mayor Quinton Lucas Commits to Reducing Homelessness By Year's End Through House America Initiative

U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) Region VII Deputy Regional Administrator Bruce L. Ladd today acknowledges the commitments that Kansas City Mayor Quinton Lucas has made under the Biden-Harris Administration's House America initiative. Through this partnership that is led by HUD and the U.S. Interagency Council on Homelessness (USICH), Kansas City will reduce the number of people experiencing homelessness by developing 300 new units of affordable housing and connecting 2,000 or more people to permanent housing and support services.

Launched in September 2021, the House America partnership leverages funding from the federal American Rescue Plan (ARP), with other federal, state, and local resources to re-house at least 100,000 households experiencing homelessness and add at least 20,000 new units of affordable housing into the development pipeline by December 31, 2022. Within those national goals, communities set and achieve local re-housing and unit creation goals.

The need for a more sustained focus on homelessness in Kansas City is underscored by the most recent annual Point In Time (PIT) count of unhoused persons, showing that nearly 1,500 people are in need of permanent housing. This fact, when coupled with the negative impacts of COVID-19 and climate change on the health and welfare of unhoused persons, is why House America's all-hands approach is aimed at getting people connected to housing and resources now.

When asked about his thoughts on the timing of the partnership and the needs of the city, Mayor Lucas opined:

As someone who grew up experiencing homelessness, I know firsthand how imperative it is for Kansas City families to have a safe place to lay their heads at night. I have met many times with leaders from HUD, both in Kansas City and Washington, D.C., and was honored to host Secretary Fudge in Kansas City last year for a tour of our ongoing work to create more housing opportunities for more families. I am proud that these efforts have resulted in Kansas City's House America partnership with HUD and USICH, which will help escalate our already ambitious goals to create more affordable housing stock—so all, regardless of neighborhood or background, can afford to call Kansas City home. Innovative partnerships, including our partnership with the federal government through House America, will be critical for us to reach our goals and improve outcomes for our neighbors.

Through ARP, HUD has allocated nearly $8.4 million in additional HOME-ARP funds to Kansas City for the preservation or creation of affordable housing as well as direct assistance to residents for other housing needs. These funds are a key component of their plan to develop a pathway to action over the next several years.

HUD further awarded to the Housing Authority of Kansas City 164 housing vouchers for individuals and families who are homeless, at risk of homelessness, fleeing or attempting to flee domestic violence, were recently homeless or have a high risk of housing instability – to secure rental housing and supportive services.

"Housing people experiencing homelessness is a primary focus of HUD, especially approaching re-housing and the development of new housing units from an equity perspective. HUD is proud to work with a partner like KCMO that has not only set out to do big things but will put in the work and the resources needed to bring them into reality. HUD stands ready to continue supporting the city in this effort," said Deputy Regional Administrator Ladd.

• To learn more about House America or to join the initiative, visit: https://www.hud.gov/house_america
• For more on the U.S. Interagency Council on Homelessness: https://www.usich.gov/about-usich/
• For more on Emergency Housing Vouchers, visit: https://www.hud.gov/EHV
• For more on the HOME Investment Partnerships Program, visit: https://www.hudexchange.info/programs/home-arp/

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