Up To Date

Housing Inequity Made Apparent By Pandemic

By Steve Kraske,

Published June 29, 2021 at 4:06 AM CDT

Ways To Subscribe

Houseless people living in the encampment on the south side of City Hall in Kansas City moved into temporary housing or left the grounds altogether in April. — Those who are homeless often have little to no access to basic healthcare such as clean water and soap.

Battling COVID-19 has emphasized the region's shortage of quality housing and its impact on health outcomes.

The pandemic laid bare longstanding inequities of our society, including access to housing and health care. As part of the Institute for Nonprofit News project "AC: Life After COVID," journalists from KCUR and The Kansas City Beacon are reporting on the metro's low-income quality housing shortage and the urgency of dealing with it, the measures to provide medical treatment to the homeless and the hidden plight of "precariously housed" families accepting substandard housing conditions

Anne Kniggendorf, author and freelance journalist
Celisa Calacal, reporter, The Kansas City Beacon

Tags

Up To Date Podcast Housing homelessness inequality infrastructure affordable housing health care

Steve Kraske

When I host Up To Date each morning at 9, my aim is to engage the community in conversations about the Kansas City area’s challenges, hopes and opportunities. I try to ask the questions that listeners want answered about the day’s most pressing issues and provide a place for residents to engage directly with newsmakers. Reach me at steve@kcur.org or on Twitter @stevekraske.

See stories by Steve Kraske

Danie Alexander

As senior producer of Up To Date, I want our listeners to hear familiar and new voices that shine light on the issues and challenges facing the myriad communities KCUR serves, and to expose our audiences to the wonderful and the creative in the Kansas City area. Just as important to me is an obligation to mentor the next generation of producers to ensure that the important conversations continue. Reach me at alexanderdk@kcur.org.

See stories by Danie Alexander

Trevor Grandin

Trevor Grandin is a contributing producer for KCUR Studios.

See stories by Trevor Grandin