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Council reviews Topeka’s $8–14 million homelessness investments and updated encampment abatement rules
Summary
City staff reported $8 million in homeless‑initiative spending from 2022–2024 and $14 million including prevention/rehab programs; the city described a 30‑day outreach period before abatements, $250,000 in abatement costs for recent cleanups and a winter/warming‑center support model staffed by EAS.
City housing and code officials presented a cross‑department summary on May 13 of Topeka’s spending and operational approach to unsheltered homelessness from 2022 through 2024 and outlined recent changes to encampment abatement procedures.
Why it matters: Officials said the city has spent millions on shelters, prevention and rehab programs and that abatement is resource‑intensive; the governing body discussed policy options including a “Topeka First” residency initiative and how to improve fee collection on private‑property abatements.
Housing Services Director Carrie Higgins told the governing body that over the three‑year span Topeka’s homeless initiatives totaled “a little over 8,000,000” and that, when homeless prevention and rehabilitation programs are included, the total exceeds “a little over 14,000,000” with roughly $5,500,000 in 2024 alone. Higgins said the…
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