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414 E. 12th St., 4th Floor
Kansas City, MO 64106
Phone: 816-513-3271
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The U.S. Conference of Mayors: Hunger and Homelessness Survey
The United States Conference of Mayors has released a status report on hunger and homelessness in 29 of America's cities, including Kansas City, Mo. Read it here.
Ending Homelessness: A Presentation by Jamie Van Leeuwen
This free event took place on Friday, Nov. 18 at the Kansas City Public Library.
Homelessness is preventable, solvable and unacceptable. Jamie Van Leeuwen, senior policy advisor to Colorado Governor John Hickenlooper, offered a briefing on Denver's Road Home program aimed at addressing chronic homelessness in the Mile High City. Under Van Leeuwen's direction, the initiative generated more than $50 million in new resources for the homeless, developed more than 2,000 new units of affordable housing, and prevented more than 3,500 families from becoming homeless.
The presentation highligthe Homeward Bound: Greater Kansas City Housing Sustainability Plan prepared by the Homelessness Task Force of Greater Kansas City, which seeks a fresh approach to reducing homelessness in the five-county metropolitan area.
Homeward Bound: Greater Kansas City Housing Sustainability Plan
Report to the Citizens of the Greater Kansas City Metropolitan Area by
the Homelessness Task Force of Greater Kansas City.
Read Homeward Bound.
Homeward Bound: Greater Kansas City Housing Sustainability Plan.
Read Executive Summary.
The mission of the Homelessness Task Force is to find solutions to end homelessness in the Kansas City Metropolitan area through partnerships among non-profit agencies, private business, governmental entities, philanthropic organizations, the investment community, and citizens. The Homelessness Task Force was established by City Council Resolution
090788 approved in September, 2009.
For more information and insight on the Homelessness Task Force of Greater Kansas City, please visit our
Facebook page.
The Task Force studies ways to create a continuum of housing and supportive services to prevent homelessness when possible, to reduce its duration when it occurs, and to improve the health, well being and stability of homeless individuals and families throughout our area. The Task Force will develop and advocate for a comprehensive plan and recommendations to address homelessness in the Kansas City metropolitan area. The Plan will include immediate and long-term strategies as well as funding options. The Task Force will present the plan and recommendations to the Kansas City, Mo., City Council, to the other jurisdictions that have joined the Task Force, and to the citizens of the metropolitan community.
The Homelessness Task Force is appointed by the Mayor and is composed of no fewer than 32 members, representing a range of experience and expertise in business, government, medicine, the legal system and law enforcement, education, mental health, social services and housing. In addition, the Task Force includes representatives from surrounding governmental entities as provided in the Intergovernmental Memorandum of Understanding Regarding Homelessness.
The Homelessness Task Force meets on the 4th Friday of every month from 9-11 a.m. at the Central Library, 14 W. 10th St. in downtown KCMO. The Task Force has established an
Executive Committee and six subcommittees, which also meet regularly at varying locations
(see link for details, and agendas). All meetings are open to the public.
In addition, a video is available on YouTube to help summarize what the Homelessness Task Force does:
view it here. 
