homelessness

The bill had only one person speak in support with over 50 people testifying in opposition.

The Veterans Community Project, located at 89th and Troost, is dedicated to moving unhoused veterans off the streets. The organization owns a village of tiny homes that houses veterans free of charge and without a deadline to move out.

Impact KCK in the Kansas City, Kansas school district is a national model for how communities can address student homelessness by bringing different organizations and resources together to connect families to stable housing, jobs and other services.

Flourish Furniture Bank started in a church basement and has since expanded to a 30,000 square foot warehouse, bursting with upcycled furnishings and home supplies. And thanks to its partnerships with Kansas City social service agencies, the shopping spree is entirely free.

Dozens of tenants in a Kansas City apartment building were left without heat and electricity for days, while freezing temperatures took hold of the city. Even after the utilities were restored, residents blame an absentee landlord for the building's poor living conditions.

Residents spent the weekend in the bitter cold at the Gladstone Court Apartments after losing heat Friday morning. By Monday, the landlord was working to turn the gas back on. But many residents said this was the first time they had seen an owner.

A fire knocked out the heat in a Northeast Kansas City apartment complex Friday, leaving residents in the cold indefinitely. The property owner, who serves on the board of a housing advocacy nonprofit, blames the issue on unhoused people breaking into the building. But the building has a history of code violations.

A law passed last year made sleeping on state-owned land a misdemeanor in Missouri. It went into effect Jan. 1, but critics say there is still a lack of clarity from the state surrounding its implementation — and a lack of resources to actually help unhoused residents.

A former Days Inn hotel has been transformed into a unique sanctuary for Kansas City's unhoused population. Plus: A Missouri town offers a case study for what happens when rural hospitals close and jeopardize access to critical health care.

In 2022, hundreds of refugees made their way to Kansas City with hopes of finding help. This year also saw tenants in housing court receive much-needed assistance with their legal representation. We'll take a look at the biggest housing stories of 2022.

The law bans sleeping, camping or setting up long-term shelters on state-owned land. Multiple lawsuits against the measure by homeless advocates have been filed, though no rulings have been issued.

Lotus Care House is taking a different approach to counter the homeless crisis. Unique support services like their path to housing and medical recovery programs help navigate the homeless from the street to permanent housing.