… city officials and other speakers … came to discuss Kansas’ growing problem with homelessness during a House Welfare Reform Committee roundtable discussion Thursday. The discussion comes after widespread backlash to House Bill 2430, a bill that would make it illegal to use state or local government property for unauthorized sleeping, camping or long-term shelters. Towns and cities with a higher per-capita rate of homelessness than the state average would lose state funding. After Kansans who had dealt with homelessness showed up en masse to voice disapproval of the bill, the committee pivoted to the roundtable idea, though critics say more substantial action needs to be taken, along with providing more mental health funding and community resources for people experiencing homelessness. With the rising cost of living prices, the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic and and a lack of mental health resources, homelessness has been again on the rise.
Source: LJWorld
