Johnson County has until the end of the year to spend $6 million of federal COVID relief funds that were originally bookmarked for a Lenexa homeless shelter. Johnson County Commission chair Mike Kelly wants that money to still go towards housing solutions. 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.
Source: KCUR
