unhoused

During March and April this year, Kansas City will work with four area shelters to extend the city's Zero KC emergency cold-weather plan to last the entire year. The new policy eases restrictions for people who've been kept out of shelters because of mental health, addiction or other issues — and adds additional beds.

Each year, volunteers venture out nationwide on a single night for the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development’s point-in-time count in an effort to tally the country’s homeless population. Rural volunteers say they rely on the count to aid their unhoused populations. Meanwhile, experts say HUD may be undercounting.

One night last month, volunteers ventured out in Missouri to try to tally the state's homeless population. It's an incredibly important but flawed system that is especially difficult in rural areas. Plus: A shortage of attorneys in Kansas is so bad that it could lead to courts dismissing criminal cases.

Persistent cold this month has meant more unhoused people in the Kansas City area have needed warm, safe places to spend the night. But neither Johnson or Wyandotte counties have enough beds, and consistently have to turn people away.

Shelters that are at capacity have been adding beds to accommodate overflow guests as freezing temperatures remain throughout the metro. But for many, restrictions like pets, a lack of transportation or mental illness deny them access to those beds.

In our series “Unhoused/Unschooled,” The Midwest Newsroom and its regional partners explored the complicated federal system designed to support K-12 public school students experiencing homelessness, particularly in rural communities.

Urban and suburban school districts may have a funding and staffing edge when it comes to implementing laws to support students with unstable housing. But, homeless education liaisons in small rural districts say close-knit communities make for efficient identification and support for students eligible for services.

Kansas City made a concerted effort to support unhoused individuals in the first major winter storm of 2025, Mayor Quinton Lucas said in an interview with Up To Date. But the mayor admitted the city isn't where it should be in its housing policies — including in building a low-barrier shelter.

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?

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.

After drawn-out debate, the city will allocate federal funding to Hope Faith in the northeast to set up more shelter beds that will accept any person regardless of their race, gender, religious beliefs or condition.

The U.S. Supreme Court ruled last month that cities can punish people for sleeping in public areas, and while Kansas City does not have a “no camping” ordinance in place, some residents fear the decision could spark local backlash against homeless people.