homelessness

An increasing number of Kansas City families have jobs but still need shelter or assistance, due to the gap between the wages they earn and the cost of housing. It’s a formula for rising homelessness.

During the winter season, shelters and unhoused resources have to grapple with fluctuating weather conditions and influxes of demand. Shelter leaders are preparing for this weekend — and the rest of the winter.

For much of Kansas City’s homeless population, seeking medical treatment is not only hard, it can also be demeaning. One nurse practitioner made it her mission to change that.

The Kauffman Foundation recently gave its first “Uncommon Leader” award, along with a $150,000 prize, to a nurse practitioner from Swope Health Services who has been delivering heath care to homeless individuals for more than a decade. The committee cited the way Dr. Rachel Melson focuses on restoring dignity to the treatment of unhoused residents.

The Kansas City Council created a Housing Trust Fund seven years ago to support the development of more affordable units. In 2025, the city saw some of its first projects come to life — but the money is running out next year.

The bags contain a variety of essential, everyday items such as toothbrushes, toothpaste, deodorant, first-aid kits and water, as well as cold-weather items such as gloves and socks during the winter.

Joplin officials recently passed an ordinance banning the practice after noticing out-of-state vehicles dropping off homeless people. Columbia adopted a voluntary ride home program. But with homelessness rising, rural areas lack the resources to help residents.

An effort is underway by President Donald Trump and cities like Kansas City, Kansas, to clear unhoused people from living in public spaces. But one Overland Park mental health expert fears homelessness will be criminalized — not addressing the root issue and costing more than providing adequate access to care.

Residents of an apartment complex in Gardner, Kansas, were kicked out of their homes earlier this year when the city condemned the property for unsafe living conditions, but one change in a law could help. Plus: A Missouri researcher says "radical empathy" can help combat today's conspiracy theories, which may help when you go home for the holidays.

Applying the Kansas Consumer Protection Act to residential rentals could help balance power between landlords and tenants. A lawmaker hopes it may force landlords to improve their properties so tenants don’t live in squalor.

People seeking refuge from the biting cold can find it at more than a dozen shelters and warming centers around the metro. Some open only when the temperature drops below a certain threshold, while others have daily availability.

The Unified Government of Wyandotte County and Kansas City, Kansas, passed a revised version of its public camping ban — which includes lesser penalties for first time offenses than the initial proposal. Kansas City, Kansas Police called the measure “dignified,” but opponents worry it will criminalize homelessness.