homeless

If you notice someone struggling with mental illness or substance abuse and posing a danger to themselves or others, Kansas City has resources beyond 911 to provide appropriate support.

Low-barrier homeless shelters open for the winter months starting Sunday, Dec. 1. With thousands of unhoused people in the Kansas City area and only a few hundred beds, many individuals will still be left out in the cold.

For 35 years, NourishKC has fed Kansas City’s unhoused population, people down on their luck or anyone who has needed a hot meal — and they're especially busy during the holiday season. Through that work, the nonprofit is also helping to develop a culinary workforce.

After Lenexa shot down Johnson County's plan to build a low-barrier homeless resources center, commissioners voted to use those federal funds instead on several other housing initiatives — including a Habitat for Humanity project and support for a cold weather shelter.

States had until the end of September to distribute federal rescue funds to school districts to help students struggling with housing get equal access to education. Barring extensions, most states will leave money on the table — including several in the Midwest.

As the 2024 calendar turned to autumn, 46 homeless people had died in Sedgwick County. That's compared to just 42 deaths for all of the previous year.

The Midwest Newsroom and its partners found that homeless students eligible for enrollment, transportation and academic support in most rural school districts are not getting these services because the districts are undercounting students without stable housing and not applying for available funds.

After a more than six-hour council meeting that stretched past midnight, a majority of Lenexa City Council rejected the plan to buy a former La Quinta Inn and turn it into a homeless services center. Advocates said it was a "once-in-a-lifetime" opportunity to address the county's homelessness crisis.

The City Union Mission downtown turns a century old this month. The CEO and executive director told KCUR's Up To Date how the city's oldest homeless shelter has adapted to meet the modern day needs of unhoused people.

Unhoused people face unique challenges in voting. Learn how to register to vote with a step-by-step guide tailored for homeless people in Kansas City. Here's how to get necessary documents like a birth certificate and state ID.

While Lenexa planning commissioners agreed that more homeless support is needed in Johnson County, they faulted the project at the former La Quinta Inn for being a bad fit for the surrounding neighborhood. But the Lenexa City Council will get the final say.

A point-in-time count by the Kansas Statewide Homeless Coalition found a nearly 7% increased in unhoused residents from last year. The tally has limitations, but it helps local agencies spot gaps and allocate scarce resources.