Second Light is reducing its number of beds for homeless Wichitans. Here’s why.

As Second Light enters its second year of operation, executive director Dan Clifford said they’re learning what’s sustainable for the city’s homeless shelter that now provides wraparound services.

Just this month, the shelter made public that it was reducing the number of beds it provides from 170 to 130.

“So much of this has been kind of just the evolution of — now we have an idea of what the building capacity looks like. We have partners in the building that are committed to doing this work,” Clifford said. “Now let’s build the pathway forward for how people can get connected to all these resources and get put on that path to housing.”

The news came as the city’s residents overwhelmingly rejected a 1% sales tax proposal that would have set up an endowment to fund the shelter, among other things.

The shelter has been supported with American Rescue Plan Act funds since it opened, but those funds are set to run out in the fall.

Exit polling by Wichita Documenters showed that voters were in support of funding the city’s homeless shelter to address what they perceive as a growing issue.

Clifford is hoping that will be reflected when Second Light eventually hires its first development director this year to seek out additional funding.

City council members last week discussed whether the city can or will help fund the shelter, but those decisions won’t be made until much later this year during its budget process.

The shelter estimates it needs about $4 million a year to operate.

“We always knew there was going to have to be a pivot and a new strategy for long-term sustainable funding,” Clifford said. “We had one opportunity with the sales tax… pretty clear feedback from the community about kind of the overall sales tax.

“But we also know that there was still a lot of support for Second Light and a lot of support around trying to solve our homeless issue here in our community, and Second Light is going to be a significant player in that process and in that response.”

What’s currently going on at the shelter?

Earlier this year, providers began moving into the shelter to offer more services to the city’s homeless residents. Those include help with receiving identification, substance use treatment, mental health and health care, housing support, and more.

The shelter also began offering recovery meetings five nights a week, which board member Kent Miracle said is growing in popularity.

“Two years ago, when I started attending those homelessness task force meetings, I’m like, ‘oh my god, we’re at zero. How on earth are we ever going to do this?’” Miracle said, “And we have, and it’s amazing. It’s… spectacular. We’re pulling something off that I never thought I’d see in my life, ever. I couldn’t even conceive it a year ago.”

Of the 130 beds at the shelter, 100 of those are set aside for people in Second Light’s Shelter+Services program, which offers a bed and services to eventually transition them into housing.

The remaining 30 beds are night-by-night beds, with six of those being held for people who are dropped off by law enforcement.

While the shelter is still in its early years, it’s seen some success in getting dozens of people into housing, according to Second Light.

“It’s like God’s work,” Miracle said. “It’s crazy to see, but it’s so incredibly gratifying. It’s just, I can’t explain it.”

If the shelter is able to receive more funding, according to Clifford, it’ll be able to help even more people transition out of homelessness.

“If we see more resources invested in Second Light, yes, we can expand what we do, and we can ultimately serve more people,” Clifford said, “but every building and every organization is going to have some limitations.”

This story was originally published March 22, 2026 at 5:04 AM.