Press Releases

On Tuesday afternoon, the Topeka Development Corporation officially retained ownership of Hotel Topeka at City Center. The hotel was purchased for just over $7.6 million.

The hotel remains open for business, and all services are expected to continue as normal.

The Topeka Development Corporation was formed mid-October to take ownership of the hotel, obtain the necessary licenses and insurance, and to contract with a management company to oversee day to day hotel operations.

The corporation has contracted with GF Hotels & Resorts to operate the hotel. GF Hotels & Resorts currently operates the hotel, which allows for continuity of hotel operations.

In recent weeks, the corporation awarded contracts to an asset manager and for a facilities assessment. The asset manager is helping the corporation identify an appropriate brand for the hotel, and will work to identify and help select a long-term private operator. The facilities assessment is underway and ongoing.

“We are excited about the purchase being finalized, and steadfast in our desire to see the hotel re-developed and eventually brought back to private ownership,” said Topeka Mayor Michael Padilla, who also serves as president of the corporation’s board of directors. “In the coming months, the corporation, board of directors, and staff will be working closely with our asset manager and partners to develop a long-term plan for the hotel so that it can be a staple in our community for many years to come.”

To read more about the Topeka Development Corporation, visit www.topekadevelopmentcorporation.com.

 

Housing and Urban Development (HUD) is working to help people struggling to keep up with FHA insured mortgage payments due to COVID-19 until July 31^st, 2021. Currently, there are 194 FHA borrowers in Topeka. Anyone with a Federal Housing Administration (FHA) insured mortgage who can’t pay their mortgage because of financial struggles due to COVID-19, can ask for mortgage payment relief (forbearance). Mortgage forbearance is when you have worked with your mortgage servicer to temporarily pause or reduce your monthly mortgage payments.

Until July 31^st, 2021, individuals with a FHA mortgage can ask their mortgage servicer to temporarily pause or reduce their monthly mortgage payments. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, all homeowners with FHA insured loans can ask for forbearance without any penalty. When working with your mortgage servicer:

• State that you are having a hardship related to COVID-19. You are not required to provide documentation of this hardship.
• Request COVID-19 forbearance for your mortgage payments.
• Ask your servicer to confirm the details of your forbearance agreement in writing.

You are eligible for FHA’s COVID-19 forbearance (mortgage relief) if:

• Your mortgage is insured by the Federal Housing Administration (FHA).
• You can’t make your payments because you were affected by COVID-19.

If you have a reverse mortgage, also known as a Home Equity Conversion Mortgage, you should contact your mortgage servicer for options available to you.

If you are unsure if your loan is insured by FHA? You can find this information on your mortgage statement or you can call the FHA Resource Center at 1-800-CALL FHA (1-800-225-5342) or email answers@hud.gov.

You can find more information on FHA mortgage relief on the HUD website at https://www.hud.gov/coronavirus/resources_for_homeowners

It is currently estimated that there are between 750 to 1,000 homeless students in Topeka and Shawnee County schools. Impact Avenues is a new program that has been created to assist students and their families with obtaining stable housing. The City of Topeka and our numerous partners are working together to provide wrap around services for our student population to help significantly reduce homelessness in our community.

Over the next three years, Advisors Excel will be providing up to $500,000 to support the Impact Avenues program. The Topeka Community Foundation will administer the Impact Avenues funding on behalf of Advisors Excel through an existing partnership with the Topeka Community Foundation to support their charitable work in the Topeka community.
“No child should have to worry about where they are sleeping at night,” said Advisors Excel Co-Founder David Callanan. “Studies show social and emotional development is threatened and a child’s ability to concentrate is impacted without the stability and support a permanent home provides. When the opportunity to get involved in the Impact Avenues program presented itself, we felt strongly that we had to help tackle the issue of student homelessness in Topeka.”

About Impact Avenues:
Impact Avenues is a program that aims to significantly reduce student homelessness in our community by assisting students and their families obtain stable housing through graduation. “Topeka has stepped up to the plate to ensure that no student has to endure the burden and stigma that is associated with homelessness. I am proud to support this initiative and our partners who have made this possible. No issue is too big to solve when we do it together,” said Mayor De La Isla.
Families will be assigned to an Impact Avenues navigator who will assist them throughout their journey with the program. The navigator position is currently open for applications and can be found at: https://www.topeka.org/hr/current-openings/ 

How it started:
Impact Avenues is based on a program in Wyandotte County called Impact KCK, which was successful in reducing student homelessness by 50 percent in just a few years using collective impact – a model that removes barriers in order to accomplish goals, reduces duplication of efforts in the community, and collects data to measure success.

How to Qualify for Impact Avenues:
A student is considered homeless if they lack a fixed, regular, and adequate nighttime residence (i.e. living in cars, parks, public spaces, house sharing, couch surfing, living in motels or campgrounds due to the lack of alternative adequate accommodations, living in emergency shelters, etc.). In order to qualify for Impact Avenues, a student has to be referred through a USD 501 liaison. Children and their families will get the support they need to obtain stable housing and assistance with overcoming barriers to success like transportation, employment, financial literacy, healthcare and others.
“Through Impact Avenues, together we will remove barriers for all families. Our partnership is another example of how the school district and city of Topeka are partnering to contribute to the economic prosperity of all families by addressing the homeless rate in the city. We are committed to the success of every child and we are grateful for all who helped make this partnership possible which will reduce poverty by eliminating homelessness in Topeka,” said USD 501 Superintendant Dr. Anderson.

Our Partners:
This program would not be possible without numerous community partners that have dedicated time, resources and input throughout this process. “The collaboration between local non-profits, private sector and multiple government agencies is truly impressive. This is a perfect example of the great momentum we see in our community,” Callanan said. The City of Topeka will serve as the Backbone Agency. In addition to Advisors Excel, partners include USD 501, the Kansas Department of Children and Families, Topeka Rescue Mission, Housing and Credit Counseling, Inc., Valeo and many more agencies that have pledged to engage in this work to improve the quality of life for our students and Topekans.

How to help:
For more information, please go to https://www.topeka.org/impact-avenues/.
If your organization is willing to assist us in this crucial effort, please contact Impact Avenues program lead, Corrie Wright at cwright@topeka.org.
To contribute to ongoing expenses for the program, you can donate online at https://topekacommunityfoundation.org/donate/ and select the “Impact Avenues Fund”, or send a check directly to the Topeka Community Foundation with “Impact Avenues Fund” in the memo line.

The Impact Avenues program successfully housed 99 children and 41 families in its first year. Impact Avenues is a program that aims to significantly reduce student homelessness in our community by assisting students and their families obtain stable housing through graduation. The City of Topeka and 38 partner agencies worked together to provide wrap-around services for our homeless student population to help significantly reduce homelessness in our community. During this time the Impact Avenues program had a 98% retention rate in keeping families housed during COVID-19.

“Topeka is dedicated to ensuring that no student has to endure the burden and stigma that is associated with homelessness,” said Carrie Higgins, Impact Avenues program coordinator. “I am very proud that Impact Avenues has been able to help ninety-nine children become housed, and continue to stay housed in its first year. I’m excited to continue the important work and continue to help eradicate child homelessness in our community.”

A student is considered homeless if they lack a fixed, regular, and adequate nighttime residence (i.e., living in cars, parks, public spaces, house sharing, couch surfing, living in motels or campgrounds due to the lack of adequate accommodations, living in emergency shelters, etc.). To qualify for Impact Avenues, a student has to be referred through a school liaison. Children and their families will get the support they need to obtain stable housing and assistance with overcoming barriers to success like transportation, employment, financial literacy, healthcare and others.

“Our superintendent partnered with Impact Avenues and Advisors Excel last year to reduce poverty and support economic prosperity in Shawnee County as part of the district’s strategic plan,” said Leslie Carr, Coordinator of Social Work for Topeka Public Schools. “As the coordinator of homeless programs and social work for Topeka Public Schools, I am proud of the positive effect Impact Avenues has had in moving families out of homelessness. The partnership between the district, the City of Topeka, and Advisors Excel has reduced homelessness for Shawnee County, and I am excited to continue supporting families in the coming year.”

Over 210 educational classes have been taken by families, which include classes offered by community partners that include Finance 101, Housing, 101, Employment 101, and Healthcare 101.

This year Impact Avenues will be taking referrals from social service agencies as well as from Topeka Public Schools in order to expand the reach of Impact Avenues and identify more children that could benefit from Impact Avenues.

“We are thrilled with the first-year successes Impact Avenues has had helping give Topeka families a hand up,” said Advisors Excel Co-Founder Cody Foster. “This is an amazing partnership with 38 agencies and the City of Topeka, working together to provide families the tools and resources to get and keep them in permanent homes. We are very proud to be a part of this program, and hope to help even more families this school year,” Foster said.

Advisors Excel is providing up to $500,000 to support the Impact Avenues program for the first three years. The Topeka Community Foundation will administer the Impact Avenues funding on behalf of Advisors Excel through an existing partnership with the Topeka Community Foundation to support their charitable work in the Topeka community.

How to help:

For more information, please go to https://www.topeka.org/impact-avenues/.

If your organization is willing to assist us in this crucial effort, please contact Impact Avenues program lead, Corrie Wright at cwright@topeka.org.

To contribute to ongoing expenses for the program, you can donate online at https://topekacommunityfoundation.org/donate/ and select the “Impact Avenues Fund”, or send a check directly to the Topeka Community Foundation with “Impact Avenues Fund” in the memo line.

You can watch a video on Impact Avenues here: https://youtu.be/KWtLsCNQ7kU

Public school student homelessness is a national crisis affecting more than 1 million children in grades K-12. The City of Topeka, Topeka Public Schools, and more than 35 community partner organizations are working to end student homelessness through the Impact Avenues program.

Impact Avenues reached 207 families with 525 children from its launch in August 2019 through July 2021, making it possible for 73 families with 186 children to reach a permanent housing solution. Moreover, 191 families received utility assistance that allowed them to remain stably housed, 108 individuals received mental health services, 61 families received transportation assistance, and 31 families received legal help during this period.  49% of the families in the program were not employed at entry and are now fully employed.

“Topeka is dedicated to ensuring that no student has to endure the burden and stigma that is associated with homelessness. Impact Avenues is a powerful force for good in Topeka and Shawnee County. Its skilled, innovative, and compassionate approach to student homelessness will continue to help families break the cycle of poverty through housing stability, educational attainment, and economic mobility for years to come.” said Corrie Wright, Division Director of Housing Services for the City of Topeka. “I am very proud that Impact Avenues has been able to help over five hundred children become housed, and continue to stay housed in its first two years. I’m excited to continue the important work and continue to help eradicate child homelessness in our community.”

Impact Avenues is a replication of the nationally recognized Impact KCK program in Wyandotte County, Kansas. The program combines the skillful application of the Collective Impact Model for Community Change with a number of social service innovations to effectively serve homeless students and their families.

Impact Avenues uses a two-generation approach to addressing student homelessness and a wide array of wraparound services to achieve its goals. Innovative social service practices include (1) a single point of service; (2) intensive case management provided by an Impact Navigator; and (3) connection with a permanent housing solution. In addition, effective management and continuous improvement are supported by developmental evaluation, a method that provides real time assessment of program outcomes, challenges, and opportunities that further strengthens program effectiveness.

A student is considered homeless if they lack a fixed, regular, and adequate nighttime residence (i.e., living in cars, parks, public spaces, house sharing, couch surfing, living in motels or campgrounds due to the lack of adequate accommodations, living in emergency shelters, etc.). To qualify for Impact Avenues, a student has to be referred through a school liaison. Children and their families will get the support they need to obtain stable housing and assistance with overcoming barriers to success like transportation, employment, financial literacy, healthcare and others.

The community infrastructure organized by Impact Avenues made it possible to quickly respond to the emergency needs of children and families when the COVID-19 pandemic reached Kansas. This response has included services ranging from care calls to determine family needs to connections with financial resources to delivery of food and other necessities. Emergency relief has been extended to all families, not just those who are designated Impact Avenues families.

How to help:

For more information, please go to https://www.topeka.org/impact-avenues/.

If your organization is willing to assist us in this crucial effort, please contact Impact Avenues program lead, Corrie Wright at cwright@topeka.org.

To contribute to ongoing expenses for the program, you can donate online at https://topekacommunityfoundation.org/donate/ and select the “Impact Avenues Fund”, or send a check directly to the Topeka Community Foundation with “Impact Avenues Fund” in the memo line.

The Independent Police Auditor has concluded his investigation into the use of force incident regarding Tamiko Mitchell and the Topeka Police Department. After a thorough review of officer statements, witness statements, and seven body worn camera videos, the Independent Police Auditor has concluded that the use of force was within policy. All 17 pages of the IPA report are attached to the release.
The body worn camera video will be released to the public pending criminal proceedings.
Topeka Police Department policies, including use of force policies can be found on the City of Topeka website: https://www.topeka.org/tpd/topeka-police-policies/

The Independent Police Auditor has concluded his investigation into the use of force incident regarding the 14 year old juvenile and the Topeka Police Department. After a thorough review of officer statements, witness statements, and body worn camera videos the IPA concludes that the force utilized by the Officer was within the policy parameters outlined in Topeka Police Department General Order 4.2, et al. However, the Independent Police Auditor does express concern regarding the encounter with the juvenile and the officer’s judgment therein.

Topeka Police Department policies, including use of force policies can be found on the City of Topeka website: https://www.topeka.org/tpd/topeka-police-policies/

La Ciudad de Topeka se complace en anunciar un programa piloto para el mantenimiento de césped como parte del primer año de su Iniciativa Cambiando Nuestra Cultura del Mantenimiento de la Propiedad.

El programa piloto proporcionará apoyo de servicios de mantenimiento de césped a aquellos que vivan en áreas con una Asociación de Mejoras en el Vecindario (NIA por sus siglas en inglés), asegurando que una tarifa estándar, fija y asequible esté disponible.

“El objetivo de lograr el mantenimiento del césped de todos los jardines sin que la Ciudad esté involucrada ha estado en proceso por años. Nos emociona tener el programa listo y en funcionamiento para nuestros vecinos,” dijo la concejala Karen Hiller. “La Ciudad está apoyando a Omni Circle Group y a Gil Carter Initiative con el préstamo de equipo para el mantenimiento de los césped, lo cual demuestra nuestro compromiso con ellos y con la comunidad entera para el éxito de este programa. El objetivo a largo plazo es que el programa se vuelva auto sostenible e independiente de la Ciudad”.

En el primer año del programa, tres entidades diferentes a las de la Ciudad de Topeka estarán proporcionando los servicios relacionados con este programa, algunos son pagados y otros son voluntarios para ayudar a los residentes que no tienen un mantenimiento regular de su césped.

Estos tres proveedores tienen disponibilidad limitada y no son entidades que pertenezcan a la Ciudad. Si los proveedores no tienen la capacidad de ofrecer los servicios en este tiempo, los residentes pueden referirse a las redes sociales u otros recursos para localizar a un proveedor, pero sepa que la Ciudad no ha aprobado a otros proveedores para estos servicios.

La Ciudad creo un documento con información de cómo puede buscar a alguien para que le de mantenimiento a su césped, cómo revisar referencias, así como también materiales educativos de cómo dar mantenimiento, cortar y reducir la vegetación.

Tarifas fijas de mantenimiento de césped para todas las áreas de NIA

Tsquared Lawn Care está ofreciendo una tarifa fija baja de $30 por corte de césped para los residentes que viven en las áreas con un NIA.

NIA en Highland Acres

Gil Carter Initiative está ofreciendo una tarifa estándar en un rango de $40-70 por corte de césped para los residentes que vivan en un área NIA de Highland Acres. Gil Carter Initiative puede ofrecer precios más bajos dependiendo la situación.

NIA en Central Park

Omni Circle Group estará cortando los césped de manera voluntaria para los residentes que viven en el área NIA de Central Park, y así ayudar a esta área a alcanzar la meta de tener el 100% de césped cortados.

Encuentre un NIA

Para saber si usted vive en un área con NIA, por favor visite la base de datos en el sitio web de la Ciudad y busque su dirección.

Oportunidades para ser voluntario

Un componente adicional de la Iniciativa Cambiando Nuestra Cultura del Mantenimiento de la Propiedad es que se enfoca en vecinos ayudando a vecinos por medio del voluntariado.

Inscríbase para ser voluntario

Los individuos, familias, negocios, iglesias, organizaciones y cualquier vecino que quiera involucrarse en ayudar a darle mantenimiento a los césped de residentes puede inscribirse para ser voluntario por medio de United Way of Greater Topeka en el portal de voluntarios Topeka.

Solicitar un voluntario

Los individuos que no puedan pagar por servicios de mantenimiento de césped o aquellos que vivan en áreas que no tengan un NIA dentro de los límites de Topeka pueden solicitar que su césped sea cortado. Sin embargo, la Ciudad no puede garantizar la disponibilidad de un voluntario en esa área y no se hace responsable de la aprobación de voluntarios.

Línea de asistencia de la Iniciativa Cambiando Nuestra Cultura del Mantenimiento de la Propiedad.

Para conocer más acerca del programa, solicitar un proveedor o ser voluntario o para registrar sus horas de voluntariado, llame al 785-368-9530.

“Solo quiero decirles a todos nuestros miembros de la comunidad – ¡Finalmente el momento ha llegado! Solo se trata de dejar a nuestros vecinos, iglesias y familiares que nos ayuden a cortar el césped,” dijo la concejala Christina Valdivia-Alcalá. “Hemos escuchado en varias reuniones comunitarias cómo las personas querían corresponder el tiempo en que uno le ha ayudado al otro. Podemos hacer esto. Tienda una mano”.

Celebración

Al finalizar la temporada de darle mantenimiento al césped en el 2022, habrá un evento para celebrar a aquellos que sirvieron como voluntarios por medio del portal de United Way, así como también a otros que ayudaron de cualquier forma para hacer de esta iniciativa un éxito. Manténgase al tanto para detalles adicionales acerca de la celebración.

 

The intersection of the SW Arvonia Place/SW Huntoon Street/I-470 ramp opened shortly after 1 p.m. today, following a ribbon cutting ceremony. The intersection closed on June 4th.

The rest of the project is still under construction with another 1200 feet of Huntoon under construction west of the intersection. The rest of phase one of the project is expected to be completed by December 15th.

“This project is an example of a city and state partnership to replace a badly deteriorated and outdated roadway,” said City Manager Brent Trout. “This is just one of the many projects undertaken this year and on track to be completed on time and on budget. We look forward to this phase to be completed in December and to next year’s project on Arvonia and Winding Road to the south next year.”

This is the first season of a two-season project. Next season, the City hopes that the Arvonia Place and SW Winding Road intersection will be relocated to the south, across from the new hotel entrance, and a section of Arvonia will be rebuilt to the south 1400 feet. This year’s construction budget is $3.6 million with Amino Brothers Inc. as the general contractor. Next year’s portion is budgeted at $2.13 million. Funding is from State grants and local General Obligation (GO) Bonds.