News

Health Insurance Coverage in Johnson County According to the U.S. Census Bureau, 93% of Johnson County residents were insured in 2017, down from 95% in 2016. This drop between 2016 and 2017 represents approximately 9,000 more members of our community without health insurance, limiting their ability to seek medical help when they needed it, afford prescription medications, and obtain preventative health care. Where Johnson County residents obtain their insurance differs depending on household income level. People at the highest income level are three times more likely to get their health insurance through their employers compared to those at the lowest ...

Full House for UCS' Annual Kansas Public Policy Forum This week's Kansas Public Policy Forum, presented by UCS, Community Health Council of Wyandotte County (CHC), Tenants to Homeowners, Inc. of Lawrence and United Way of Greater Kansas City, convened a dozen state legislators from Johnson and Wyandotte counties as well as local elected officials, county and city staff, health and human service agencies, health foundation grant makers, community advocates, educators, and residents. Healthy Communities was the focus of this year's forum. UCS Executive Director Julie Brewer, CHC Executive Director Jerry Jones, and Tenants to Homeowners Executive Director Rebecca Buford began ...

Housing Affordability in Johnson County Safe, stable, and affordable housing is the foundation on which families build healthy and sustainable futures. Housing also represents one of the largest expenses in a household budget, and where one lives can impact access to schools, jobs, and community resources. Housing influences both individual and community health and well-being in significant ways. Rising property values can displace low- and fixed-income home owners unable to keep up with property taxes. The number of homes valued at less than $250,000 declined by 20,000 between 2007 and 2017, while the number of homes valued between $250,000 and ...

UCS' Kansas Public Policy Forum Next Week -- Register Now to Attend Join us for UCS' annual Public Policy Forum as we prepare for the 2019 Kansas Legislative Session. We will look at the upcoming session, learn more about the work of the Child Welfare Task Force and Joint Legislative Transportation Vision Task Force and discuss the role of public policy in healthy communities. The event includes a reception for legislators and attendees after the presentations and legislative panel. Please let us know if you plan to join us by clicking here. Poverty & Economic Insecurity in Greater Kansas City -- Recent ...

UCS Hosts DCF Secretary Gina Meier-Hummel On December 13, UCS' Transitional-Age Youth Planning Project and Children's Coordinating Council will host Secretary Gina Meier-Hummel from the Kansas Department for Children and Families. This will be an opportunity for Secretary Meier-Hummel to discuss the strategic direction of DCF, what communities can expect (changes, etc.), statewide trends, initiatives and pilot programs. There is no cost to attend; however, space is limited. Those who have not contacted UCS about attending, please make a reservation through Brown Paper Tickets by clicking HERE. This event will be held from 1:30 to 3:00 at Sunflower House, 15440 W. 65th St., Shawnee. Please park ...

Join us for UCS' annual Public Policy Forum as we prepare for the 2019 Kansas Legislative Session. We will look at the upcoming session, learn more about the work of the Child Welfare Task Force and Joint Legislative Transportation Vision Task Force and discuss the role of public policy in healthy communities. The event concludes with a reception and refreshments. There is no cost to attend; however, space is limited so please make your reservation to attend today by clicking here ...

Save the Date - Kansas Public Policy Forum Mark your calendar for the December Kansas Public Policy Forum, co-hosted by UCS and United Way of Greater Kansas City with sponsorship support from REACH Healthcare Foundation. Date:  Tuesday, December 18, 2018 Time:  10:00 a.m. - 12:00 p.m. Location:  Matt Ross Community Center 8101 Marty, Overland Park UCS Continues Speaker Series on Transitional-Age Youth Below is information on the November event in the Transitional-Age Youth (TAY) Speaker Series. UCS and the TAY Leadership Team have launched this speaker series in order to engage the community in the needs of the TAY population in Johnson County. Events ...

UCS is partnering with area agencies to implement the Transitional-Age Youth (TAY) Planning Project. The goal of this project is that every at-risk transitional-age youth in Johnson County will enter adulthood successfully. The project is being guided by a Leadership Team consisting of decision-makers from agencies that serve at-risk TAY, including youth who age out of the foster care system without a permanent home, exit the juvenile corrections system, are experiencing homelessness, or who have severe and persistent mental illness. Following a year-long planning process the Leadership Team is now implementing a plan that coordinates best practices, protocols, and evaluation ...

UCS Posts FY2018 Application for HUD CoC Funding UCS acts as the lead agency for Johnson County's Continuum of Care on Homelessness (CoC) and completes the annual collaborative application to the US Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) with assistance from local members. The CoC's annual competition is an opportunity for local providers of housing and services dedicated for those experiencing homelessness to compete for federal dollars to support programming that serves Johnson County residents. The final draft of KS-505's FY2018 application for HUD's CoC annual competition - including both the collaborative application and the priority project listings - has been ...

UCS Releases Rank and Review Results for HUD Continuum of Care UCS acts as Johnson County's Continuum of Care on Homelessness' (CoC) lead agency and writes the collaborative application annually on behalf of local members.  In FY 2017, $704,323 was awarded to members of Johnson County's CoC to support 9 programs, including $19,730 to UCS for its planning and facilitation work as lead agency. In its role as CoC lead agency, UCS is also responsible for managing the CoC Rank and Review process, conducting regular meetings of the CoC membership and board, and providing educational/best practices opportunities for all entities ...