Since July 2024, Topeka and Shawnee County’s homeless population has decreased by 12 individuals according to the City of Topeka’s January Point in Time Homeless Count released on March 18.
The count took place on January 22, 2025. The one-day event provides a snapshot of the individuals in the community who are experiencing homelessness, as defined by the United States Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD). More than 40 people helped with this January’s count.
According to the count, 534 people and 399 households are experiencing homelessness in Topeka and Shawnee County. Of the 534 individuals, 60% of those are male, 39% are female, .5% identify as transgender, and 151 are unsheltered, or not living in an emergency shelter or transitional housing.
“The point-in-time count provides a valuable opportunity to connect individuals experiencing homelessness with essential services and resources in the community,” said Carrie Higgins, Housing Services Division Director. “We are grateful to all the volunteers and partner agencies who contributed to the count and continue to support efforts to improve our community.”
Below is a chart that breaks down the numbers from the previous four counts. For a detailed look at the Jan. 2025
numbers, Click Here.
| 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | Jan. 2024 |
July 2024 |
Jan. 2025 |
|
| People | 401 | 298 | 365 | 412 | 537 | 546 | 534 |
| Households | 306 | 254 | 297 | 322 | 442 | 433 | 399 |
| # of Veteran Households | 40 | 16 | 37 | 25 | 47 | 46 | 49 |
| # of Individuals in an Emergency Shelter |
254 | 155 | 163 | 194 | 276 | 255 | 289 |
| # of Individuals in Transitional Housing |
51 | 38 | 54 | 61 | 58 | 75 | 94 |
| # of Individuals Unsheltered |
68 | 105 | 148 | 157 | 203 | 216 | 151 |
To receive funding for programs, HUD requires communities complete a count each year. The count ensures the
city can obtain the appropriate level of funding to be able to provide needed services to those experiencing
homelessness and those at risk of homelessness.
The City of Topeka is now accepting applications for the 2025 Public Works and Utilities Citizens Academy.
The academy gives Topeka residents an opportunity to learn more about the departments that manage the city’s infrastructure, including water systems, street and building maintenance, and making Capital Improvement Plan (CIP) budget decisions.
“Understanding the complexity of what our Public Works and Utilities crews do – from maintaining safe drinking water to maintaining our streets – helps us appreciate the vital role they play in keeping our community running efficiently,” said Mayor Mike Padilla. “Giving citizens an opportunity to see and hear that firsthand is an important tool in the communication efforts between the city and the citizens that we serve.”
The upcoming citizens’ academy will take place over seven weeks, beginning March 31,
2025. The class is limited to 25 participants. All participants must be at least 18 years old. For more information and to register, visit City of Topeka Public Works and Utilities Citizens Academy.
About City of Topeka Public Works
The City of Topeka’s Public Works Department, nationally recognized through accreditation by the American Public Works Association, strives to meet our current and future needs. A well-run organization consisting of Engineering, Streets, Maintenance, Traffic Signs and Signals, Forestry, Parking, Fleet, and GIS Management ensures public funds are spent on projects and services approved by residents through their local City Council representative.
About City of Topeka Utilities
The Utilities Department is comprised of the Water and Water Pollution Control Utilities and the City of Topeka Customer Service Center. As the producer and distributor of drinking water and manager of all sanitary and stormwater waste in the community, the Utilities Department is integral in the safety of all Topeka citizens
On Tuesday, March 4, 2025, during the planned abatement along the Kansas River,
an individual was injured as a result of the cleanup process. Around 11:00 a.m., Utilities
Department employees were clearing the tree line on the north side of the Sardou Bridge when
a tent was picked up by machinery with an unsheltered individual inside. The person sustained
minor injuries and was transported to a local hospital for treatment. Abatement at this location
has been suspended for the day.
Per city policy, the employee operating the machinery was removed from the scene and
underwent drug testing. The Topeka Police Department’s Behavioral Health Unit was present in
the area assisting affected residents and city staff were unaware of the individual’s presence at
that specific site before the incident.
As is standard procedure, city personnel maintain regular contact with residents when
performing abatements. City staff posted notice of abatement in the area during the week of
February 24.
The health and safety of the public is the city’s priority and we will continue to evaluate our
processes moving forward. The abatement process is on hold due to weather. The city will
continue to investigate how this incident occurred.
The City of Topeka’s Property Maintenance, Community Outreach Bureau, and Water Pollution Control will begin abatement of the next section of the unsheltered camp on Monday, March 3, 2025. Crews will clear sanitation and health hazards in the section of land along the river between the Sardou Bridge and Soldier Creek.
As cleanup is expected to impact unsheltered individuals that have been camping in the area, the Behavioral Health Unit and the city’s partners have been in routine contact with the individuals to help them prepare. City staff establish connections with the individuals to refer them to a range of community resources regularly, that address each individual’s unique situation.
“Equity Access Shelter will complete an assessment with each impacted individual and ensure they are on the housing waitlist if they aren’t already,” said Housing Services Director Carrie Higgins. “We will talk through what options are available based on their specific needs and circumstances and connect them to those resources. We also work closely with the Capital City Outreach Teams to ensure consistent engagement with our unsheltered neighbors.”
Planning for this phase of the abatement began in 2024, and is not a result of the ordinance change in February 2025. As is standard procedure, city staff posted notice of abatement in the area during the week of February 24.
“Our goal with abatements is to take a people first approach. While official notices are going out this week, we always make sure the unhoused impacted individuals were aware of what was going on way in advance, so they knew what options they have,” said Major Mike Cross. “We care about these individuals and want to make sure they are getting the services they need.”
The city values the work partner organizations to serve our unsheltered neighbors, and will continue to prioritize the safety of all residents and enforce health and safety ordinances as needed. A complete list of city resources can be found here: https://www.topeka.org/housing-services/#gsc.tab=0
The City of Topeka’s Public Works Department is actively monitoring the current weather
forecast, which predicts the possibility of significant snowfall in the area Tuesday night into Wednesday.
Road crews have been pretreating roads in anticipation of this storm. As weather conditions change,
crews will adapt treatment as necessary. Once the snow starts in Topeka, road crews will prioritize
clearing arterial and collector roads. The decision as to whether crews will work to treat residential
streets will be made based on the total amount of snowfall that we receive. In anticipation of the
possibility of significant snowfall, the city asks residents to park off the street where possible. For more
information about the city’s snow removal policies at
To help road crews more efficiently clear snow downtown, the city will open parking garages free of
charge from 3:00 p.m. – 8:00 p.m. Tuesday, February 11, and from 6:00 a.m. – 6:00 p.m. Wednesday,
February 12. We encourage the public to utilize the downtown parking garages and leave on-street
parking open for snowplows to clear the parking spots during and after the storm.
To contact the city, call 785-368-3111, or report an issue using the SeeClickFix app:
Today, the League of American Bicyclists honored the efforts of the City of Topeka to build better places for people to bike with a Bronze-level Bicycle Friendly Community (BFC) award. Topeka joins 459 communities across the country in the movement for safer streets and better bicycling for everyone. The award recognizes Topeka for its commitment to creating transportation and recreational resources that benefit its residents of all ages and abilities while encouraging healthier and more sustainable transportation choices.
“Bicycling is more than just a mode of transportation—it’s a powerful tool for building healthier communities, fostering sustainability, and connecting people,” said Bill Nesper, executive director of the League of American Bicyclists. “The cities and towns recognized in this round of Bicycle Friendly Community awards are leading the way by investing in infrastructure and programs that make biking an easier, safer, and more accessible choice. Their leadership demonstrates that supporting bicycling is an investment in a healthier future for everyone.”
The League of American Bicyclists’ Bicycle Friendly America program sets the standard for how communities build and benchmark progress toward making biking better. The League strives to provide continual updates to the application as part of our commitment to help communities raise their standards for safety, equity, and accessibility.
This round of awards includes 91 new and renewing awardees, joining a total of 460 current Bicycle Friendly Communities in all 50 states and the District of Columbia. The bronze-level BFC award recognizes Topeka’s commitment to improving conditions for all people who bike through investments in bike education programs, regular bike events that promote and encourage people to choose biking, pro-bike policies, and bike infrastructure.
“We are excited to be recognized again as a bike-friendly city,” said Braxton Copley, Assistant City Manager. “We understand that many people in Topeka use bikes for recreation or as their main form of transportation. We will continue working to provide safe opportunities to bike throughout the city.”
Nearly 900 communities have applied for recognition by the Bicycle Friendly Community program, which provides a roadmap to making biking better for communities of all shapes and sizes. While the award process considers very visible elements such as bike infrastructure, other essential elements include efforts around adult and youth bike education, encouragement through events like Bike to Work Day, evaluation mechanisms, and enforcement all through the lens of equity. The rigorous application process is an educational tool in itself, and includes an opportunity for local bicyclists and active transportation advocates to provide input on their experiences and perceptions of bicycling in their community.
The five levels of the BFC award – diamond, platinum, gold, silver and bronze, plus an honorable mention category – provide a clear incentive for communities to continue to improve. Awarded communities must renew their status every four years to ensure that they not only maintain existing efforts, but also keep up with changing technology, national safety standards, and community-driven best practices.
To learn more about the BFC program, visit bikeleague.org/community.
About the League of American Bicyclists
The League of American Bicyclists leads the national movement to create a Bicycle Friendly America for everyone. With a history dating to 1880, the League is committed to engaging diverse communities and building a powerful, unified voice for change around protecting and promoting bicyclists’ rights. Learn more at www.bikeleague.org.
City of Topeka and contracted road crews continue 24-hour snow-fighting efforts following last weekend’s record 14-inch snowfall and ice, along with additional snowfall on Thursday night.
After completing main roads and arterials Friday morning, 21 city trucks and 6 contractor trucks have refocused efforts to treating and plowing residential streets. Crews will continue their efforts until all city streets are passable.
Thanks to pretreatment before the January 4 and 5 snow event, main roads and collector streets were cleared more effectively than residential areas that were not pretreated. We’ve heard from many residents regarding Thursday’s update and want to reassure the public that we are actively addressing the areas that have been reported as not having received an initial pass by plows.
The Topeka Fire Department remains fully operational, responding to fire and medical calls as usual. The Topeka Police Department continues to operate under the walk-in accident reporting phase but is responding to all other calls for service.
We appreciate the community’s support and ask for continued patience and understanding as we address road conditions following the third largest snowfall in Topeka history.
The City of Topeka’s Public Works Department is actively monitoring weather forecasts for this weekend, which predict a high likelihood of significant snowfall in the area. While the exact path of the storm remains uncertain, crews are taking proactive steps to ensure the city is prepared for any inclement weather.
Street Department crews are manufacturing salt brine in preparation for pretreating priority roadways. Pretreatment efforts will begin Thursday and continue into Friday. Crews are also completing the setup of equipment needed to tackle any potential snow and ice. Public Works staff will be on standby throughout the weekend to respond as conditions develop.
If the forecast proves accurate and the Topeka area receives significant snowfall or icy conditions, the city will activate a full snow response. Crews will plow and treat roadways on alternating 12-hour shifts until the weather event concludes and roads are safe for travel.
Additionally, the Topeka Rescue Mission’s Extreme Weather Taskforce is preparing for warming stations.
Information regarding the locations and hours will be released prior to the severe weather. Volunteer opportunities at the warming centers can be found here: https://www.kawvalleyvolunteers.org/
Residents are encouraged to avoid unnecessary travel during the storm and use caution when traveling in icy
conditions.