‘My heart breaks’: TRM on the reality of criminalizing homelessness in Topeka

TOPEKA (KSNT) – La Manda Broyles with the Topeka Rescue Mission met with the morning crew to talk about their Street Reach surveys, the impact of Topeka’s City ordinance, and what the Supreme Court’s homeless case could mean for those in the community.

The Rescue Mission Executive Director touched on the city’s ordinance, saying it hasn’t been ideal.

“Really there’s a lot of things that we should have probably had better in place as a city before enacting this, but our team is trying to make the best of it,” Broyles said. “Where we are respecting what government has decided, but also trying to be there for the people as they’re trying to understand it.”

According to Broyles many of the homeless people in Topeka are on a housing waitlist, doing everything necessary, but the issue comes from a lack of housing.

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The organization’s Street Reach surveys show those homeless in the community would access transitional homes, low barrier shelters, or tiny home villages if they were available.

“We’ve got a lot of amazing people on the streets, that are just in the middle of struggle,” Broyles said, “and we don’t have enough resources for them. My heart breaks to know a little bit of how we’re criminalizing and making things limited for them. But the Rescue Mission is doing everything we can to be respectful of the ordinance, but also keep caring for the people first.”

For more from the TRM Director, watch the interview above.

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