Lenexa reaches agreement with church regarding homeless shelter; lawsuit dismissed

Both sides met for an entire day Tuesday to avoid further litigation.

According to terms of the agreement, Project 1020 is permitted to begin operating the temporary shelter for up to 30 adults from 7 p.m. to 7 a.m. each day through April 1, 2020.

Project 1020 will provide an on-site social worker and the church will have volunteers, who will be awake as the residents sleep, according to the terms of the agreement provided by Shawnee Mission Unitarian Universalist.

The church will be allowed to feed residents dinner and breakfast and will provide training to its volunteers for fire watch, health and safety.

If the Lenexa City Council hasn’t updated its zoning and regulations regarding homeless shelters by next winter, the agreement and its terms will remain in effect for the winter of 2020-21 as well.

“The City of Lenexa has always recognized the need for homeless services in Johnson County,” Yocham said. “We are also charged with a myriad of responsibilities to our entire community – one of which is the duty to ensure that appropriate land use and zoning decisions are made.”

Shawnee Mission Unitarian Universalist, which is located in a former elementary school, is located in an area designated by City Code as Single Family Residential.

Lenexa also promised to “begin an in-depth process to update City Code to more comprehensively address how homeless shelters are regulated throughout the community” with input from “residents and members of the faith community,” according to a statement.