News

Fact Sheet: A Case for Raising the Minimum Wage The national minimum wage was created by Congress under the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) in 1938 to: Stabilize the post-depression economy, Protect the workers in the labor force and Create a minimum standard of living to protect the health and well-being of employees. UCS is committed to advancing policies that increase the financial stability of Johnson County households. Because of this, we track nationwide trends in minimum wage policy to inform how Kansas policy decisions impact Johnson County residents. Since the start of 2022, 24 states have raised the minimum ...
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HUD Released 2022 CoC Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) on 8/1/22; KS-505 Will Publish Updated Competition Timeline by 8/5/22 The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) has released its FY2022 CoC NOFO – a national competitive funding process opportunity for Continuums of Care (CoC) working to end homelessness. To view the FY2022 NOFO, see View Opportunity | GRANTS.GOV. UCS acts as Johnson County’s CoC lead agency (KS-505) and submits the application annually on behalf of local members to qualify for grant awards funding permanent supportive housing, rapid re-housing, homeless data management services and CoC planning. In July, KS-505 opened ...
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UCS Releases Annual Point-in-Time Count and Data on Homelessness Johnson County’s Continuum of Care on Homelessness is a collaboration of public and private service providers committed to quickly and effectively responding to housing crises to either prevent or end homelessness among Johnson County residents. The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) requires that Continuums of Care conduct an annual Point in Time (PIT) count of households within their geographic region experiencing homelessness on one night in the last ten days of January. The count is a snapshot on a single night that is used to monitor trends year ...
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UCS Hosts Event Addressing Youth, Social Media, and Mental Health A study conducted by Common Sense Media reported that teens spend between five and seven hours per day on social media. According to the Journal of the American Medical Association, adolescents who spend more than three hours per day using social media may be at heightened risk for mental health problems. In response to concerns about social media and youth mental health, UCS, with the Alcohol Tax Fund, Children's Coordinating Council, and the Transitional Age Youth Planning Project, invited Tim DeWeese, Director of the Johnson County Mental Health Center, and ...
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2022 Human Service Summit Registration is Now Open! The 2023 Human Service Fund (HSF) Grant Cycle is Now Open! The 2023 Human Service Fund (HSF) grant cycle is now open! Applications are due July 7, 2022 by 3:00 p.m. HSF will be offering small grants through a Small Grants Pool RFP in addition to the regular HSF RFP. HSF provides grants to nonprofit agencies in support of human service programs that promote the well-being, personal safety and self-sufficiency of Johnson County residents. Approximately $435,000 is anticipated to be awarded in 2023 grants through the regular HSF application and the small grants ...
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Kansas Housing Resource Center Launches Mortgage Relief Program Kansas Housing Resources Corporation (KHRC) this week launched the Kansas Homeowner Assistance Fund (KHAF), providing mortgage and utility assistance to Kansas households impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic. The program, supported through funding from the federal American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) and administered by KHRC, will help qualifying Kansans get current on their mortgages and property taxes and avoid foreclosure. In an interview with the KHRC staff last week, UCS learned more about how and why this project was created. In its more than 20-year history, KHRC has administered programs to sustain housing ...
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UCS Releases a Fact Sheet on Young Children in Johnson County During the Week of the Young Child, UCS hopes to raise awareness of our youngest generation of Johnson County residents. A new fact sheet provides a snapshot of the current state of young children in Johnson County. The early years of child’s life are the foundation of their future development. From birth through age 3, the brain develops most of its neuropathways. Through age 8, children’s experiences provide the base for social, emotional, and cognitive development. Ensuring that children have access to quality, supportive environments in their early years ...
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UCS Releases Fact Sheet on Economic Outcomes for Women Johnson County is home to more than 304,000 girls and women of all ages who play a vital role in our society, culture, and local economy. According to 2020 data from the U.S. Census Bureau, more than 80% of women over age 16 are in the labor force, working in various occupations including management and business, education and legal, and administrative support. A new fact sheet released by UCS today explores recent economic outcomes for women in our community. Rental Assistance Funding Available to Kansas Residents Kansas Emergency Rental Assistance (KERA) ...
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Women’s History Month Reminds Us of the Power of Connection Contributed by Beccy Yocham UCS Board Chair City Manager, City of Lenexa Women’s History Month has been celebrated in the United States each year since 1987 and provides an opportunity to honor the generations of strong, trailblazing women who have shaped this nation in ways that have not always been fully recognized nor appreciated. The theme for Women’s History Month this year is “Providing Healing, Promoting Hope” which is both a tribute to the ceaseless work of caregivers and frontline workers during this ongoing pandemic and a recognition of the thousands ...
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KanCare Expansion Could Provide Health Insurance Coverage to Thousands in Johnson County The 2022 Kansas legislative session provides an opportunity to expand Medicaid, which would provide health insurance coverage to thousands of people across the state of Kansas. Kansas is now one of only 12 states that has opted not to expand Medicaid. Approximately 34,500 people in Johnson County, or 6% of the county’s population, is uninsured. Based on U.S. Census Bureau data for 2019, 30% of those who are uninsured would qualify for Medicaid if expansion were approved by the Kansas Legislature. More than 10,300 uninsured Johnson County residents ...
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