Shelter

A one-day “snapshot” taken on Jan. 25, 2024, counted 691 literally homeless persons in Sedgwick County. “Literally homeless” means just that. These people are surviving on the streets, in their cars, or in shelters. It does not include people living at hotels/motels or staying with family or friends. This count of homeless in Sedgwick County decreased by 12 persons or 1.5% from the 2023 count. However, of the 691 persons identified as homeless, 188 or 21% were unsheltered. This was an increase of 25% over those counted as unsheltered in 2023. The count was taken as part of the annual U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (H.U.D.) point-in-time count of homeless people in the United States.

There were more than 2,500 individuals who were homeless during the course of the 2019 calendar year in Sedgwick County.

There is a growing need to provide services to this vulnerable population, and Open Door offers assistance through the Homeless Resource Center as well as the Family Rapid Rehousing program.

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HOMELESS RESOURCE CENTER

The Day Shelter
Open Monday -Friday 7:30 am to 4 pm

The Homeless Resource Center (HRC) is a comprehensive, daytime assistance center for homeless adults and families in Wichita/Sedgwick County.

The HRC day shelter program provides a safe environment for individuals to shower, do their laundry, receive mail, eat a healthy meal, have a place to store personal belongings, meet with Open Door case managers, access our Klothes Kloset, and connect with services offered by Open Door and our partner agencies.

We offer:

  • space for clients
  • offices for partner agencies (see below)
  • an education room and a family room
  • a chapel
  • on-site medical and mental healthcare providers

Open Door continues to seek community partners willing to leverage their services and expertise with ours to increase effectiveness. We provide a single access point for homeless persons and provide services complimentary to our partner agencies.

Our current on-site, collaborative partnerships are:

  •     COMCARE of Sedgwick County Homeless Services
  •     Sedgwick County Shelter Plus Care
  •     Veterans Administration
  •     Kansas Legal Services
  •     GraceMed Health Clinic
  •     Hunter Health Clinic
  •     Giving the Basics-Wichita
  •     Kansas Workforce Center (job assistance)
  •     City of Wichita-Housing Authority
  •     Salvation Army (veteran family assistance)
  •     Catholic Charities (veteran family assistance)
  •     Substance Abuse Center of Kansas
  •     ICT Street Women’s Clinic
  •     Various ministers (provide religious services)
  •     Wichita Children’s Home
  •     Kansas Department of Children and Families (Food Stamp/SNAP and Health Insurance assistance)

Open Door also has long-standing referral relationships with the Union Rescue Mission (bed shelter), HumanKind (formerly Inter-Faith Ministries) (housing), The Lord’s Diner, Center of Hope and the Wichita Police Department’s Homeless Outreach Team.

Individuals and families are eligible to receive assistance at the HRC if they meet the following requirements:

  • Must be homeless. Individuals interested in signing up for services need to come inside and ask to talk to Fred, our HRC Case Manager.
  • Be age 18 or older.
  • Agree to a TB test, administered on-site by GraceMed Clinic.

Community Support

Thank you to Boyscout Troop #806 from Westside UMC for their hard work in assembling and delivering 70 back packs to the Open Door Homeless Resource Center’s day shelter! Each back pack has a variety of items from blankets, socks, water, cans of food, hygiene items. It was a hot afternoon but the Girlscout Troop #1806 helped the boys unload the truck. We are so grateful for this special project. Thank you for opening your heart to those in need.

FAMILY RAPID RE-HOUSING

Business hours: Call for appointment Monday – Friday 8 am to 5 pm

The Family Rapid Re-housing (FRRH) program assists families with children to quickly end their episode of homelessness. We help families obtain safe, secure, and stable housing so they can achieve self-sufficiency and successfully graduate from the FRRH program.

Each family participating in the program is assigned a case manager. The case manager works with the family to develop a Housing and Stability Service Plan. This strengths-based plan focuses on tasks the case manager and family will address together and determines the type of assistance the family needs to regain and maintain stable housing. The plan also works to reduce any barriers that might lead to future episodes of homelessness.

The case manager and the family complete various assessment tools to identify the family’s strengths and barriers to maintaining and sustaining permanent housing. The case manager partners with the family to develop and/or refine success in areas such as: employment, budgeting, education, parenting, communication skills, resume development, vocational training, healthy relationship building, family-planning and self-esteem.

Applications for the FRRH program are now being accepted. FRRH is a Tenant-Based Rental Assistance Program.

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Vision Quest

Business hours: Call for appointment Monday – Friday 8 a.m. – 4:30 p.m.

Vision Quest (VQ) is a home-based outreach program designed to prevent homelessness and help families break out of the cycle of poverty. VQ case managers make home visits as often as needed to assist the family in developing a family work plan. Full-time employment and long-term self-sufficiency are the main goals. Families may remain in the program for up to two years. VQ case managers may assist the client with the following:

  • Basic family needs
  • Locating job training
  • Obtaining employment
  • Accessing other community services
  • Learning coping skills and money management
  • Mentoring
  • Helping the family through crisis
  • Breaking the cycles that keep the family dependent upon public assistance.

To apply and qualify for assistance, the client must meet the following guidelines:

  • Have a residence within the Wichita city limits.
  • Must be able to work.
  • Have children living in the home from birth to age 18.
  • Household income must be at or fall below 130% of the federal poverty guidelines

Community Support

Thank you to the Ambassador Hotel for donating 100 pillows to help with our Vision Quest, Klothes Kloset, and Family Rapid Re-Housing programs