Chapin Park Evictees Still Hunt for Housing
Former Wichita encampment residents with housing vouchers face unit shortages, landlords who refuse vouchers, and pet restrictions.
Updated on Nov. 7, 2026 in Home Organization
The City of Wichita closed a homeless encampment near Chapin Park and told residents they had to leave. Residents who were displaced are still struggling to find stable housing, with about two dozen having moved in and 14 more holding vouchers they have not yet used.
Why it matters
For Wichita households living on low incomes or without a permanent address, the closure shows how quickly a home can disappear when housing options are limited. Council member Mike Hoheisel points to a shortage of available units, landlords who refuse housing vouchers, and pet restrictions as the main barriers keeping former residents from settling.
About two dozen former Chapin Park residents have moved into housing, and another 14 have received housing vouchers but are still searching for places to live. Jessica Lane, who lived at the encampment for about three years, moved to another encampment near Garvey Park and has not received an update on her voucher.
The players
City of Wichita
The municipal government of Kansas's largest city, which closed the Chapin Park encampment and directed residents to relocate.
Mike Hoheisel
A Wichita City Council member who identified housing shortages, landlord reluctance to accept vouchers, and pet restrictions as barriers for former residents.
The details
The city closed the encampment and told residents they had to leave, moving them from Chapin Park to other locations. Residents who received vouchers still face a search process in which landlords may decline to accept the vouchers, and some listings exclude tenants with pets. Lane lost nearly everything when she was told to leave, and her move to a new encampment shows that displacement often shifts people rather than resolving their housing need.
Timeline
October 2026: video aired reporting on the Chapin Park encampment.
About a month before November 7, 2026: the city closed the Chapin Park homeless encampment.
The Home Front
The Chapin Park closure fits a wider pattern in Wichita of clearing encampments before enough units and voucher-accepting landlords exist to absorb the people displaced. Fourteen voucher holders still searching, alongside a shortage of units, show how the housing supply, not only the voucher program, determines whether a move becomes a home.
If you rent in Wichita and are searching for a unit with a housing voucher or a pet, ask landlords directly whether they accept vouchers and pets before touring, and keep your ID, income records, and any voucher paperwork organized in one folder. Contact a local housing navigator or the agency that issued your voucher for help with the search, since a licensed agent or attorney can advise on your specific rental options.
The takeaway
Losing a campsite can mean losing nearly everything you own, which makes keeping a document folder and a short list of what you need to take with you a practical habit for anyone facing a move on short notice. Voucher holders should track any deadlines their housing agency sets and keep a written record of every landlord they contact.
Further reading
For how residents are sorting out where things go after a move, see Home Organization in our Wichita coverage.
Source note: This article includes information reported by KSN-TV.
