When the Lenexa City Council voted against approving a permit for a new low-barrier homeless shelter in September, Johnson County Commission chair Mike Kelly feared it meant a major need would go unmet.
"That's where we have our biggest gap," Kelly told KCUR's Up To Date. "An opportunity to help unhoused adults not only receive safety and shelter, but an opportunity for wraparound services."
Now, Johnson County has $6 million worth of federal funding from the American Rescue Plan Act left over. The money must be obligated by Dec. 31, or else be forfeited back to the federal government.
"While I was disappointed, we knew that we had to be nimble," Kelly says.
Local governments originally had until 2026 to spend the money until Missouri Republican Sen. Eric Schmitt, with support from Kansas Republican Sen. Roger Marshall, created a resolution to move the deadline up to the end of this year.
Schmitt cited Biden administration’s wasteful spending as the reason for the decision.
Kelly plans to direct $2.5 million towards land acquisition for Habitat for Humanity and over $3 million to help house individuals with intellectual or developmental disabilities.
"Housing has been one of our big priorities for the last two years, and will continue to be a priority," Kelly says.
Kelly also discussed the Royals scouting potential stadium locations in Johnson County, efforts to change racist housing covenants in Overland Park, and how the county handled the 2024 election.
- Mike Kelly, Johnson County Commission chair
