Experts say decrease in affordable housing increases homelessness

KSHB 41 reporter Grant Stephens covers issues connected to access to housing and rent costs. Share your story idea with Grant .

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Homelessness is a complicated, multi-factorial issue, but Johnson County says the increase in the number of unhoused people they're seeing lately follows a decrease in affordable housing.

City Union Mission is a shelter that provides all kinds of short and long term resources, housing, and work development for the unhoused.

It's where Brent Knudson has been staying has he gets back on his feet.

Jack McCormick

"I was becoming that guy that no one wants to become," he said.

Knudson was stuck — stuck on the streets, which kept him stuck in his fight with drugs.

But once he got temporary help things changed.

"My mindset was, I just wanted to try to get a month in with no dope," he said. "And after a month with no dope, I'm like, 'Wow, I might have a chance.'"

He started working a minimum wage job, but he was then faced with another roadblock on his path to rebuilding his life.

"The minimum wage and trying to find an apartment is tough. I mean, it's $1,000 generally a month for anywhere you go, so you know, do the math; if you're making minimum wage, that's really tough," he said.

This is where City Union Mission and something they call their Christian Life Program come in.

"Over 90% of those who complete the Christian Life Program successfully enter work, education, or training," Doug Bodde with City Union Mission said.

KSHB 41 News staff

It's not just a housing program — it's a long-term training and work skills development program.

Building up skills as an employee means building up how much they're getting paid, and that means being able to afford rent.

"With the rising cost of rent, we have to help break that cycle," Terri Megli with City Union Mission said. "This program, because of it's duration, helps remove the obstacles that the homeless have in accessing higher-paying jobs."

KSHB 41 News staff

It includes everything from computer literacy, to more soft skills.

Knudson's training to be a CNA, and while he's working toward that, he's staying at City Union Mission.

At any given time City Union Mission says it has about 40-50 people in the long term program.

Knudson says it's working for them, and for him.

"The goals are all different," he said. "Because it was day to day, week to week, back then, camping out. And now it's more long-term, and looking for an apartment and trying to budget. The whole thing's different."

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