Eviction prevention programs and rehousing in the Kansas City Missouri area.
The greater Kansas City Missouri area is served by several Homeless Re-Housing programs. The work is coordinated across the city’s housing department and a small set of nonprofit partners that focus almost entirely on residents already living within city limits. This local emphasis of stopping eviction and rehousing people shapes how assistance is delivered, how eligibility is determined, and how quickly help can be deployed. Learn more about the details on how homeless prevention-rehousing may help struggling residents, including contact information.
Goal of homeless prevention programs
The core purpose is stabilization. Funds from an organization in the city are used to stop an eviction or utility shutoff before a household enters a shelter or loses their home. On the other hand, re-housing funds are used to shorten time spent homeless and move households back into permanent housing as quickly as possible. In Kansas City, these two functions are closely linked and often handled by the same case teams instead of being separated into different agencies.
The Kansas City approach tends to start with the immediate problem that caused the housing crisis. For someone who is behind on rent, the first goal is to stop a lockout or an eviction filing. For someone already homeless, the first goal is to get a lease signed and a move-in date set. The steps are not designed to be long or complicated. The work is meant to solve the current housing problem first, then stabilize the household afterward.
Types of help for people with an eviction or the homeless
Kansas City has a Right to Counsel program for eviction-related legal help, with a the request line through the United Way at 211 (or try as a last resort 816-474-511). The city partners with identified legal service partners available at that number. City Hall is a key partner of this line with the information on Tenant Resources from the city at https://www.kcmo.gov/city-hall/housing/tenant-resources.
- Note: The Right to Counsel program, which may provide the free lawyer services to struggling tenants, is specifically for residents of Kansas City, Missouri (KCMO). Also, due to high demand, legal representation through the Right to Counsel program is not guaranteed for every tenant. It is important to contact the request line as soon as an eviction is filed to check for current attorney availability.
There are generally multiple components to the programs, as follows. They support residents of both Wyandotte County, Jackson and Johnson County and the city of Kansas City. More details on each of them are below.
- Case management - Each low income family or tenant threatened with an eviction will meet with a specialist to review their needs and set long term goals.
- Federal government or non-profit grants for rent assistance may be offered. The program works with families that are close to, or that have an eviction notice. The money from rental assistance program in Kansas City is used to prevent homelessness.
- Homeless Re-Housing – The client may get support in quickly moving into sustainable housing in Kansas City Missouri.
- Utility bill assistance – Some funds from HUD, such as ESG, may help pay heating, electric, or water bills that if left unpaid could cause homelessness.
- Free legal services – Lawyers across Kansas City will try to help indigent tenants, at no cost to them, in court eviction cases.
The rapid re-housing portion is often tied to the community’s Coordinated Entry System. Coordinated entry in Kansas City is structured around a standardized assessment and prioritization process intended to direct limited housing openings toward people with the highest needs. As part of this process, completing the assessment is the first step toward participation, and that it does not guarantee placement into housing or financial help. That “assessment first, placement when openings exist” structure is an operational reality that shapes how rapid re-housing is accessed locally.
Find and apply for homeless prevention in the KC area
When seeking eviction or rehousing assistance, the applicant needs (among other things) proof of residency. They also need proof of income (whether from a job, public aid or other sources), copies of information for all family members, details on what actions they are taking to address their living conditions, and more.
The Greater Kansas City Coalition to End Homelessness lists its administrative contact information as 3200 Wayne Ave #202, Kansas City, Missouri 64109, with a phone number of 816-924-7997 and an email address of [email protected] That office information is part of the local structure around Coordinated Entry and community-wide housing placement and well as homeless prevention.
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