Coalition to End Homelessness in Wichita/Sedgwick County
Formerly known as Impact ICT – Continuum of Care
Working to make homelessness rare, brief and non-recurring for all our neighbors.
Are you homeless or facing the possibility of homelessness and looking for help? Dial 2-1-1 today. Our caring team of call specialists can connect you to community resources to meet your needs.
WORKING TOGETHER TO END HOMELESSNESS
Home. It’s where we lay our head at night. Where we cook dinner with family. Where we feel the most safe and secure. Everything starts at home. But what if you have no home? Without a home, it’s hard to keep a job. Without a job, it’s hard to keep a home.
A lack of steady income, insufficient affordable housing, mental health, domestic violence, addiction – the reasons for homelessness are endless and far too great for one organization to tackle alone.
United Way is bringing together key players to end homelessness. United Way is the lead agency for the Coalition to End Homelessness in Wichita/Sedgwick County, comprised of nonprofits; faith community; federal, state, and local governments; businesses; and other community advocates. Together, the coalition works to resolve homelessness by identifying and eliminating barriers to housing, coordinating and providing client directed services and housing, and annually applying for grant funding from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD).
Want to join the coalition?
Contact the Coalition to End Homelessness team at endhomelessness@unitedwayplains.org or (316) 267‑1321.
Sign up to receive the coalition’s weekly email digest with news, events and updates about local efforts to end homelessness.
EVERYBODY COUNTS:
ANNUAL POINT-IN-TIME HOMELESS COUNT
Each year, United Way coordinates a count of the homeless population. Volunteers hit the streets and visit shelters over a 24-hour period to interview people experiencing unsheltered homelessness. Those in shelter are counted through the coalition’s Homeless Management Information System. It’s about more than just getting a count. It’s about learning why individuals are homeless, what services they need to succeed and connecting our neighbors back to resources. The count is a requirement of the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development grant, but the data also helps the Coalition to End Homelessness in Wichita/Sedgwick County plan programming, make informed funding decisions and measure the progress of their work.
Point-in-Time Count Report
Download the results of our most recent Wichita-Sedgwick County Point-in-Time Homeless Count below. This blog post provides further insights into the 2024 results.
For more information regarding past counts, please contact the Coalition to End Homelessness team at endhomelessness@unitedwayplains.org or (316) 267-1321.
CONTINUUM OF CARE COMPETITION AWARDS
On Jan. 29, 2024, HUD announced nearly $3.16 billion in Continuum of Care program awards for over 7,000 projects across the nation that provide housing assistance and/or supportive services to people experiencing homelessness, as well as costs related to planning and data collection. The Coalition to End Homelessness received $3 million, fully funding the coalition’s request and adding two new housing programs.
Agency |
Project |
Award |
|---|---|---|
| Catholic Charities Wichita | Catholic Charities Rapid ReHousing: Provides short-term (6-12 months) rental assistance and supportive services to unhoused households. | $282,510 |
| City of Wichita – Dept. of Housing and Community Services | Housing First Evolution: Expansion of an existing City of Wichita and Sedgwick County program, Housing First, designed to move chronically homeless households into permanent housing and stabilize through indefinite rental assistance and supportive services. | $202,222 |
| COMCARE | Shelter Plus Care: Provides rental assistance and supportive services through community partners to chronically homeless and disabled homeless households. | $616,271 |
| HumanKind Ministries | Villa Central: Provides set-aside, low-income housing units in an existing apartment building with supportive services for chronically homeless households. | $43,050 |
| HumanKind Ministries | Villa Courts: Provides set-aside, low-income housing units in an existing apartment building with supportive services for chronically homeless households. | $131,977 |
| HumanKind Ministries | Villa North: Provides set-aside, low-income housing units in an existing apartment building with supportive services for chronically homeless households. | $69,815 |
| HumanKind Ministries | Rapid ReHousing: Provides short-term (6-12 months) rental assistance and supportive services to unhoused households. | $195,989 |
| Mental Health America of South Central Kansas | Dual Diagnosis Permanent Supportive Housing: Provides indefinite housing assistance through leased units and rental assistance for chronically homeless households with both a substance use disorder and a severe and persistent mental illness. | $288,694 |
| Mental Health America of South Central Kansas | Permanent Supportive Housing, Consolidated: Provides indefinite housing assistance through leased units and rental assistance for chronically homeless households. | $192,158 |
| The Salvation Army Wichita | Transitional Housing – Rapid ReHousing: Provides short-term (6-12 months) rental assistance, long-term (0-24 months) transitional housing, and supportive services to unhoused families with children, couples, and single women. | $167,296 |
| United Methodist Open Door | Family Rapid ReHousing: Provides short-term (6-12 months) rental assistance and supportive services to unhoused families with children. | $167,651 |
| United Way of the Plains | HMIS-CE: Ensures the coalition is able to share data across agencies through the Homeless Management Information System (HMIS); also responsible for managing data quality, generating reports, and tracking community progress on ending homelessness. | $300,735 |
| United Way of the Plains | CoC Planning Project: Ensures the coalition complies with federal requirements for CoC funding through monitoring, regular evaluation, system mapping and planning, and applying for future grants. | $140,000 |
| United Way of the Plains | Coordinated Entry: Ensures the Coalition prioritizes the most vulnerable homeless households for resources first, manages communitywide case conferencing, and adds additional support to homeless households through housing navigation. | $205,557 |
| TOTAL | $3,003,925 |
FY2024 CONTINUUM OF CARE GRANT COMPETITION
United Way of the Plains, through the Coalition to End Homelessness in Wichita / Sedgwick County, coordinates the annual collaborative application to the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) for funding of homeless services in Sedgwick County.
The Coalition to End Homelessness Board approved the Consolidated Application for the FY 2024 CoC Competition on October 25. The Consolidated Application, including the Coalition’s priority listing for project funding, can be found here. The Coalition to End Homelessness is requesting $3.9 million across twelve projects designed to end homelessness in Sedgwick County. You can download the full list of projects and their rankings here.
Results of the competition will be announced by HUD in early 2025; funded projects will start or continue operations as early as July 2025.
Questions?
Contact Cole Schnieders, United Way Continuum of Care Planning Manager, at cschnieders@unitedwayplains.org or (316) 267‑1321, ext. 4214.
LIVE UNITED BLOG: HOMELESS SERVICES
Read our latest blog posts about our work in homeless services.
2024 COALITION BOARD
The board directs the coalition and provides oversight. The current board is made up of 19 seats, each representing different parts of the coalition’s general membership. The board is elected by the coalition’s voting membership.
Andy Houltberg, Vice Chair
Breakthrough | Episcopal Social Services
Sally Stang, Past Chair
City of Wichita Housing and Community Services
Jennifer Avery
Wichita Children’s Home
Kenny Barker
Robert. J. Dole VA Medical Center
Brent Castillo
Community Volunteer
Jason Chelf
SACK
Stephanie Cline
United Healthcare
Erica Davis
HumanKind Ministries
Steve Dixon
P.B. Hoidale
Angie Elliot
Wichita Regional Chamber of Commerce
Danielle Johnson
Wichita Habitat for Humanity
Kenadee Kessler
Community Volunteer
Denise Lawson
USD 259 – Wichita Public Schools
Matt Lowe
United of the Plains (non-voting member)
Kent Miracle
Community Volunteer
Jen Parker
COMCARE
Laura Ritterbush
Goodwill Industries of Kansas
Andrea Scarpelli
Community Volunteer
Jessica Wingler
Catholic Charities Wichita
SPONSORS
Special thanks to these generous organizations for supporting our efforts to make homelessness rare, brief and non-recurring for all our neighbors in Sedgwick County.
QUESTIONS?
The Coalition to End Homelessness in Wichita/Sedgwick County is managed by Matt Lowe, United Way of the Plains Director of Community Impact. For more information, contact Matt at mlowe@unitedwayplains.org or (316) 267-1321, ext. 4233.
OUR FOCUS
Our focus is on health, education, financial stability and basic needs—the building blocks for a good quality of life and a strong community. Click below to learn more about what we’re doing, the programs we invest in and our lasting impact in each area.
