New Year, New Vision: A Reflection on 7 years of Progress, Persistence, and the Road Ahead

By Stephanie Boyer, CEO of reStart Inc. 

This month marks seven years since I stepped into the role of CEO at reStart—seven years that have shaped me as much as they have shaped this organization. When I reflect on this journey, I see a story defined by resilience, innovation, partnership, and an unwavering belief that every person in Kansas City deserves a home. 

The Milestones: Breakthroughs That Propelled Us Forward 

When I arrived at reStart in 2019, we were an organization full of heart and potential but also facing significant financial and operational uncertainty. Our community needed us—and that need has only intensified. 

Over the last seven years, we have: 

• Expanded housing solutions across the entire continuum—from prevention and emergency shelter to transitional and permanent housing. 

• Developed new pathways to stability, including workforce programs, youth internships, and integrated behavioral health supports. 

• Launched our largest housing initiative to date, the Main Street Family Lodge—44 private family units that will triple our capacity to serve families beginning in 2026. 

• Broke ground on new affordable housing, including duplex developments and a bold initiative to create 100 affordable units over the next five years. 

• Strengthening our advocacy voice, elevating conversations around homelessness, affordable housing, and community responsibility in ways Kansas City can no longer ignore. 

One of the greatest joys of my role is witnessing the transformation that begins the moment a family or individual finally finds a place to call home. A child returning to school with consistency, a parent securing employment, a young person rediscovering safety and possibility—these moments fuel everything we do. 

The Trials: Obstacles That Shaped Our Determination 

These years have also brought significant challenges that demanded adaptability, courage, and clarity of purpose. 

We have faced: 

• A dramatic rise in housing instability, turning away 600 families in 2025 due to lack of space. 

• Youth homelessness is increasing beyond acceptable levels for any community. 

• Funding losses forced restructuring and heartbreaking staff transitions. 

• Housing systems that remain too slow, too limited, and too fragmented to meet the scale of need. 

• Communities were unprepared for innovative interim housing solutions that could have transformed the entire homeless service delivery system. 

Yet, in every obstacle, we found a way forward—through partnership, teamwork, courageous donors, and the steady reminder from our participants of why this work matters so deeply. 

What I Know Now 

Seven years have taught me this: Homelessness is solvable—when we commit to housing first, housing fast, and housing for all. 

Temporary shelter is essential, but it is not the end goal. Stability begins with a key. A door that locks. A bed of one’s own. A home that allows healing to take root. 

And when we focus on creating real housing solutions—everything changes: 

• Health improves 

• Employment stabilizes 

• Children thrive 

• Community strengthens 

• Violence decreases 

• Cycles of poverty begin to break 

These are not theories. They are outcomes we witness every day. 

The Road Ahead: An Invitation to Our Community 

reStart stands today stronger, steadier, and more visionary than ever before. But the need around us is growing faster than our current resources can meet. 

This is Kansas City’s moment to step forward—not with small ideas, but with bold, collaborative, future-focused solutions. 

Over the next year, we will: 

• Open the Main Street Family Lodge, a transformational model for family-centered housing. 

• Expand reTreat’s into a full social enterprise, providing paid workforce development for youth. 

• Accelerate our affordable housing strategy, with a goal of 100 new units in five years. 

• Strengthen prevention and rapid rehousing programs, helping families secure stability before crisis takes hold. 

But we cannot—and should not—do this work alone. 

Join Us 

If these seven years have taught me anything, it is this:  Kansas City rises when we rise together. 

So, I invite you to join us: 

• Advocate for housing solutions 

• Invest in reStart’s mission 

• Partner with us as a landlord, employer, or collaborator 

• Volunteer your time, expertise, or voice 

• Champion the belief that every person deserves a home 

A stronger Kansas City truly begins with a home for everyone. 

And I am more hopeful than ever that, together, we can make that vision real. 

Thank you for walking alongside us. Here’s to the next chapter—bold, united, and rooted in community. 

Stephanie Boyer CEO, reStart Inc.