This does not reflect the majority viewpoint of the JoCo BOCC
September 17, 2024
Well, this is a fine kettle of fish!!
The Director of reStart has come out with the big guns in her attempt, in my opinion, to bully the City of Lenexa into approving the Special Use Permit (SUP) for a low barrier homeless shelter at 95th and I-35.
In reStart’s documents filed in defense of the SUP it is stated that the city may be in violation of the Federal Fair Housing Act should the Lenexa City Council dare deny reStart’s SUP application.
BUT FIRST, WHAT IS A LOW BARRIER HOMELESS SHELTER?
They are homeless shelters prohibited from screening for:
- Citizenship
- Criminal record
- Domestic Violence history
- Lease violations, history of evictions or poor credit
- Disabilities, including behavioral (mental) health
I can’t discern if low barrier homeless shelters are shelters? Or are they jails? And/or mental hospitals with the front door open?
Take for instance reStart’s statements that drugs and alcohol would not be allowed on premises; however, if a client is under the influence of drugs or alcohol they are welcomed back to the shelter as long as they are in control of their actions. Oh, that isn’t a recipe for disaster??
But back to the big guns, the Federal Fair Housing Act. What does this mean?
It means that the Director of reStart, does not believe in local control of zoning ordinances. To heck with the Lenexa Planning staff’s detailed reasons for recommending denial of the SUP, the 9-0 vote by the Lenexa Planning Commission to recommend denial of the SUP or the community’s outpouring of protests for placing the low barrier homeless shelter near schools, shopping areas and in the middle of a redevelopment plan.
Nope, the innuendos by reStart in referencing the Fair Housing Act, draws a red line: City of Lenexa, deny this SUP and there will be lawsuits flying.
At least clearly the attacks on the suburbs are out in the open.
- Who wants single family housing developments, this is a violation of the Fair Housing Act?
- Who wants multifamily to be restricted to certain areas of the city, this is a violation of the Fair Housing Act?
- Who wants commercial and or industrial restricted to certain zoned areas, this is a violation of the Fair Housing Act?
- And homeless shelters should be allowed anywhere in Johnson County?
This is a narrative, pushed by the Left, that zoning ordinances are prejudicial, racist, homophobic and anti-immigrant, period.
The stakes are high tonight at 7:00 p.m. at the Lenexa City Hall, 17101 W. 87th St. where the Lenexa City Council will vote to approve the SUP, deny the SUP or send it back to the Planning Commission for further review.
Will Lenexa stand strong and insist it is their right to have zoning ordinances and Home Rule or will they crumble and approve the SUP in the face of reStart’s innuendos that denial will constitute a violation of the Fair Housing Act?
In my opinion, crumbling will be the beginning of the end of zoning in Johnson County.
If zoning ordinances are going to bite the dust, I think it’s only fair that the first low barrier homeless shelter be in the backyard of Mike Kelly, Chairman of the Johnson County Board of County Commissioners. Then we would see if he is a YIMBY (yes in my back yard) or a NIMBY (not in my back yard).
Any bets?????
Paid for by O’Hara For JoCo Commission, Lisa Huesers Treasurer
Eliminating zoning restrictions & boundaries is part of the UN worldwide plan to fairly provide equitable ________ (you fill in the blank … housing , food, health care, income … everything you have worked for to be given to those who have not no matter where they are from. Responsible citizens pay for it through taxes & paying off the national debt which in a few short years eliminates the middle class providing the equity of lower class living to everyone except the elites (who are of course the ones driving this agenda)!