homelessness

Kansas City community kitchens are seeing higher demand as food prices remain high and COVID-19 assistance disappears. The food bank Harvesters is focusing on rescuing food waste as one way to shore up its supplies as demand rises, and donations are down.

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.

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.

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.

Some Kansas lawmakers say police are not doing enough to address crime stemming from homelessness — but advocates say making more arrests will actually make the problem worse. Plus: Rural Midwest school districts don't have enough funding to fulfill their promises to educate homeless students.

Law enforcement officials say arresting homeless people for minor crimes like trespassing and vandalism will not help reduce homelessness. Experts say it will cost a lot of tax dollars and actually makes homelessness worse.

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.

Many unhoused students in Missouri and Kansas aren't getting the school support they need — in large part because the districts aren't counting them. Plus: Farmers expect less income this year, which is likely to send ripples through the larger economy.

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.

Demand for homes in Kansas is high, but construction of new homes has been slow for more than a decade. Kansas saw a significant drop in home construction after the Great Recession, contributing to a housing shortage today that drives up prices.

People who are unhoused face unique challenges when it comes to voting. How are people in Kansas City navigating those hurdles, and how are local organizations helping them register and get to the polls?