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County considers using opioid-settlement funds to expand housing vouchers, seeks state matching program
Summary
Staff proposed creating a state-level pool and matching program to use opioid settlement funds for housing vouchers targeted to chronically homeless individuals with opioid addiction and to provide startup/match funding for local opioid initiatives; commissioners asked for legal constraints and cautioned against using general property-tax dollars for matches.
Sedgwick County staff presented new platform language exploring whether state opioid-settlement funds could be used to create a pool for housing vouchers targeted to people experiencing chronic homelessness and opioid addiction, and whether the state could match local opioid-settlement initiatives.
The draft suggested endowing $10 million of opioid settlement or fund balance to create vouchers modeled after Shelter Plus Care, with a municipal 1:1 match required to access funds. Staff also proposed a state matching program that would match local opioid settlement spending (1:1 initially and up to a higher match in later years) to leverage local investments into startup and treatment programs.
Commissioners raised concerns about using property-tax dollars as match, arguing that local taxes should not be repurposed to fund other populations, and asked staff to research statutory limits on how the attorney general's office and the state may use settlement funds. County staff noted the idea originated locally and asked for legal guidance about allowable uses and whether state-held opioid dollars could serve as match rather than tapping property-tax revenue.
Staff committed to obtain clarity on state limitations and to circulate a memo with recommended language and constraints before the commission moves forward on platform language.
