City leaders allow Topeka church to expand, house homeless

TOPEKA (KSNT) - Topeka city leaders have approved an east Topeka church to house multiple residents, as well as offer a warming center.

At Topeka's city council meeting Tuesday, Jan. 21, city leaders unanimously approved the recommendations for Open Arms Outreach Ministries to rezone and expand its outreach in the community. According to documents from the council agenda, the existing church wants to also house a Crisis Center Type II. In December 2024, the Topeka Planning Commission moved this rezoning recommendation forward to the city council.

According to city documents, a Crisis Center Type II is defined as “a facility and portion thereof and premises which is used for purposes of emergency shelter, crisis intervention, including counseling, referral, hotline response, and similar human social service functions; meal preparation, distribution and services; merchandising distribution; and temporary and/or transient shelter, including boarding and lodging."

The crisis center is planning to offer temporary lodging for eight residents, an emergency overnight homeless shelter with 20 additional beds during extreme seasonal emergencies between Oct. 16 and April 15 whenever the city calls for it.

A food and clothing pantry and daycare is already at the church. The church has been established in east Topeka since the early 2000's.

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