Sedgwick County and Wichita city officials said Second Light, the project formerly called the Multi‑Agency Center (MAC), is under construction and being designed as a low‑barrier shelter plus an on‑site services campus that will include mental‑ and behavioral‑health space and vocational programming.

County officials told the town hall that two social‑work positions are already funded and on site and that the Second Light board is awaiting architectural drawings and construction cost estimates before broader county funding decisions are finalized. Officials said the facility will move to an assigned‑bed model so people who enter will be guaranteed a bed as a step toward housing placement.

The report at the meeting described Second Light as more than overnight shelter: organizers expect roughly 30 contracted providers to deliver behavioral‑health services, vocational training, and case management on site. Officials said overnight law‑enforcement drop‑offs will be limited to a small number of emergency beds for individuals with imminent needs rather than a routine enforcement transfer.

Meeting participants raised questions about whether referrals to Second Light will be primarily law‑enforcement driven. Officials described a mixed model of co‑responder teams — pairing officers with social workers and paramedics — and other outreach units that emphasize social‑work engagement rather than enforcement. One presenter said the community is working to reduce the use of a solely police presence when engaging people experiencing homelessness so more residents will accept services.

Speakers at the town hall also referenced parallel investments: the city and county are budgeting for shelter and supportive services while private and nonprofit partners will run much of the on‑site programming. Construction and detailed funding allocations were described as “in process”; officials said the Second Light board must first receive construction bids and architectural plans before the commission takes additional budget votes.

Community members asked how Second Light will handle participation requirements. Officials said Second Light is intended to be low‑barrier and that participation in vocational or treatment programming will be available but not a precondition for shelter access.

Ending
Plans for Second Light remain subject to change as construction details and contracts are finalized. County and city leaders said they will return to formal budget or contract votes after the board receives cost estimates and program bids; town hall participants were encouraged to monitor official county and city notices for forthcoming decisions.