State Housing Commission approves plan to reduce homelessness

KANSAS CITY, MO (KCUR) - Missouri’s Housing Commission has approved the use of more than $100 million in tax credits to create long-term housing for people with special needs.

Francie Broderick, with Places for People in St. Louis, attended the commission vote in Kansas City. She says for organizations like hers, which provides services for people with mental illnesses, the commission’s new policy is historic.

"I’ve been working in this field for almost 40 years and there’s still mentally ill people homeless in my parking lot and that’s just horrible," Broderick says. "So this is going to make a real difference, this will create a pool of money that wasn’t available to us before to supported housing."

Broderick says in the past, it’s been difficult to compete with large developers to get funds from the commission for projects geared towards people with special needs.

Her organization was one of just three special needs housing projects that did get funding from the housing commission last year. But she says this new policy will expand those opportunities across the state.

Elana Gordon, KCUR

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