'They didn't invite us': North Kansas City homeless ban draws criticism from local service provider

NORTH KANSAS CITY, Mo — KSHB 41 reporter Marlon Martinez covers Platte and Clay counties in Missouri. Share your story idea with Marlon.

—
A month after North Kansas City passed a new ordinance making it illegal to camp or sleep in public spaces, a local service provider says the city made the decision without involving organizations already working with people experiencing homelessness.

Rita Pearce, director of the Northland Assistance Center, has spent 20 years helping people experiencing homelessness navigate some of their toughest days. She says the city moved forward with the ban before the right support systems were in place.

Marlon Martinez

"I think they put the cart before the horse on this particular ban," Pearce said.

Pearce says her most pressing concern is the absence of a shelter in the Northland.

"We need a shelter up north. That's all I can tell you about that. There's nothing that we can do until there's a place to shelter these individuals," Pearce said.

Marlon Martinez

She also says local organizations were left out of the process entirely — and that the city looked elsewhere for solutions without first asking what was already available.

"My question was: number one, they didn't invite us to the table, and number two, they chose to go across the river to see what services could be provided without asking us about services that are already in place," Pearce said.

Pearce says she finds the ordinance itself troubling.

Steve Silvestri

"I find it difficult to criminalize any group of people. I have not said that publicly before, but I'm saying it right now," Pearce said.

Pearce says the question of what happens to someone after they are told they cannot stay where they are should have been answered before the ban took effect.

"Let's show some compassion. Let's see if there's some way that at some point in time, probably not during my tenure. I've been here 20 years and I'm 70. Probably won't see it happen, but we need to. Somebody needs to pick up the phone and find a location and put a shelter up in the Northland," Pearce said.

Steve Silvestri

What the city says it is doing

The city says its homelessness response efforts extend beyond the ordinance itself. The North Kansas City Police Department conducts street outreach by collaborating with Tri-County Mental Health Services, also known as Beacon Mental Health, and the Northland Assistance Center. Officers focus on connecting unsheltered individuals with crisis intervention, emergency housing, and community resources rather than punitive measures.

Officers are trained to recognize mental health crises and divert individuals toward psychiatric and behavioral health resources when appropriate. They also distribute information about local support services, food pantries, and temporary lodging assistance. The department works alongside the Northland Assistance Center and A Turning Point to provide case management and financial aid.

During July, the North Kansas City Police Department responded to or self-dispatched on 33 calls for service involving activity that violated the ordinance. In each instance, service referrals were offered to the individual involved. Zero citations have been issued since the ordinance took effect. The city says it has been treating the summer as an educational and outreach phase.

Mayor Jesse Smith addressed the intent of the ordinance directly.

"This is looking to expand that network through the [Kansas City] Office of Unhoused Solutions, and it's not meant to be punitive. We're not trying to collect fines. We're not trying to put people in jail. We're trying to offer an off-ramp from that, from living outside to services," Smith said.

Shelter beds and agreements in progress

The city is in the process of crafting two Memorandums of Understanding (MOU) with the City of Kansas City. One would allow North Kansas City's Municipal Court to refer individuals experiencing homelessness to Kansas City's Community Court and CARE Court, in coordination with Kansas City's Division of Unhoused Solutions.

The second MOU would connect individuals experiencing homelessness in North Kansas City to cold-weather shelter, navigation, transportation, and outreach resources. North Kansas City would pay on a per-bed-utilized cost structure. Through Kansas City's Division of Unhoused Solutions, 931 shelter beds are available across 8 partner locations during frigid temperatures. Kansas City's Division of Unhoused Solutions also funds 491 low-barrier beds, and 440 beds are supported through community partnerships.

The city is also developing a separate MOU with A Turning Point, located north of the river, for additional outreach services.

The city applied for funding through the Missouri Balance of State Continuum of Care as part of the 2026 HUD grant competition and has been notified that its application has been approved to move forward for formal submission to HUD for funding consideration.

Fines and ability to pay

Under the ordinance, those caught sleeping outside can face fines of up to $500 and jail time. If an individual cannot pay a municipal court fine, a judge may reduce the fine, provide additional time to pay, establish a payment plan, or order community service in lieu of payment.

The city says the intent of the ordinance is not to punish individuals for their inability to pay.

North Kansas City does not participate in a formal Point-in-Time count of people experiencing homelessness due to its size. The city is a 4-square-mile enclave surrounded by Kansas City, Missouri. The city directed questions about regional homelessness data to the Greater Kansas City Coalition to End Homelessness Point-in-Time Count report at gkcceh.org.

The ordinance is set to be reviewed again in January 2027.
—