Hotel near downtown Wichita could be used for those who are homeless under proposal
The growing population of Wichita’s homeless could have another place to lay their heads.
If approved by the Wichita City Council on Dec. 1, millions of dollars in public and private funds will help transform the 316 Hotel near downtown into a 56-unit complex for those who are homeless or vulnerable to becoming homeless, according to a news release from the city of Wichita and Impact ICT — Continuum of Care, which is a coalition of groups, businesses and individuals.
HumanKind Ministries, which was previously Inter-Faith Ministries, will own and operate the location at 1011 N. Topeka.
The project would complement a recently awarded $1 million U.S. Department of Justice grant that includes resources for homelessness in the Broadway corridor.
“The 316 Hotel Project is a rare opportunity,” city of Wichita Housing and Community Services director Sally Stang said in the release. “It allows us to leverage resources to not only provide for the immediate need to de-congregate shelter as a means to slow the spread of COVID-19 but to also secure a long-term asset to provide much needed supportive housing for our community.”
The 2019 Point-In-Time Homeless Count in Sedgwick County reported 593 people that met the definition of being homeless. That’s 20 more people than reported in 2018 report and the highest number back to 2014. Data going back to 2008 shows a high of 634 homeless people in 2011.
In Sedgwick County, there are roughly 320 year-round beds, 123 winter-only beds and an additional 303 “transitional housing beds” for a total of 746 beds dedicated to emergency shelter and transitional housing, according to Wichita spokesperson Megan Lovely.
The hotel project would mitigate the stress existing organizations face in supporting the homeless population.
The owner of 316 Hotel has agreed to sell the building for $2.6 million, Lovely said. Renovations for the studio apartments are estimated to cost another $1.6 million, she said in an email.
The project is expected to be funded with $2 million in city funds, nearly $2.3 million in U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act dollars and another $200,000 in private donations, she said.
The hotel was built in 1998 as the Kansas Inn and changed ownership before being put up for sale this year because of under-utilization.
Plans call for using the building as a women’s shelter while renovations are being done. Renovations include “facility beautification,” converting each room into a studio and adding office spaces for social service providers.
If the project is approved, it could be open by January, with renovations expected to be completed by August.
HumanKind has more than 135 years of experience helping the homeless population. It operates a homeless shelter year-round and has three emergency shelters. Those facilities serve between 1,100 and 1,500 people each year.
“The Studios at HumanKind are a natural progression for us, filling a gap in services in our community while complementing our existing shelters and low-income apartments,” HumanKind Ministries president and CEO Bill Williams said in the release. “We are so grateful to The City and (Sedgwick) County for their commitment to serving those experiencing homelessness or poverty with us.”