Greater Kansas City Coalition to End Homelessness (GKCCEH)

Activities

Continuum of Care (COC) is an initiative of the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development to combat homelessness through donations to nonprofits in specific geographic areas, primarily to provide and subsidize housing for low-income individuals. The Greater Kansas City Coalition to End Homelessness is the HUD’s designated lead agency for its COC in MO-604, a region that covers the Kansas City metropolitan area, including parts of both Missouri and Kansas. To be a COC and receive HUD funding, GKCCEH and nonprofits like it must abide by certain rules and make regular reports to HUD. COC grants are awarded to nonprofits on a competitive basis by applying to HUD. ²

GKCCEH operates the Homeless Management Information System (HMIS) in MO-604. HMIS is a data-collection project to track the level of homelessness in a geographic region; GKCCEH uses a nonprofit data management program called CaseWorthy for its data collection. GKCCEH’s HMIS program includes using the Point-in-Time method, which counts the homeless population in or near shelters in a single night. Conducting Point-in-Time counts is a HUD requirement for COC grant recipients. ^{3 4 5} In 2025, GKCCEH’s Point-in-Time count recorded 2,654 homeless individuals, including 1,641 sheltered and 1,013 unsheltered. ⁶

GKCCEH operates the Coordinated Entry system to connect homeless individuals with resources. To be eligible for Coordinated Entry, an individual must either be living outside, living in a car, living in an emergency shelter, or fleeing domestic violence. Potential Coordinated Entry users must first submit a form to GKCCEH, and then if approved, they are directed to specific homelessness-relief resources depending on their personal profiles. ⁷

In October 2025, the Wyandotte County Unified Government Board of Commissioners voted 7 to 1 to reject a proposed ban on “unlawful camping” on public property, an ordinance targeted at the homeless population. GKCCEH supported the Board’s decision, arguing that homelessness in the region was fundamentally a “housing problem” and that camping on public property was a reasonable option for homeless individuals awaiting housing provision. ⁸

In 2022, the Kansas City government began coordinating with GKCCEH as part of its “Zero KC” plan to eliminate homelessness, which includes funding for housing and other services to financially stabilize the homeless population. ^{9 10}

Financials

In 2024, the Greater Kansas City Coalition to End Homelessness earned $1,311,061 in revenue, spent $1,419,132, and ended the year with -$153,274 in assets. That year, the organization received $1,281,424 from government sources, constituting nearly all its revenue. ¹¹

Leadership

Marqueia Watson served as the executive director of the Greater Kansas City Coalition to End Homelessness from November 2020 to August 2025, when she left to become the national director of veteran support services at the Veterans Community Project. Earlier, Watson had worked at GKCCEH as the director of programs. ¹² In 2024, Watson earned $90,000 from her employment at GKCCEH. ¹¹