Housing
Flatland covers stories about affordable housing, evictions and tenant rights in the Kansas City metro and surrounding area.
Specialized Staff Serving Influx of Homeless Library Patrons
People experiencing homelessness in Kansas City often find refuge in public libraries when shelter options are limited during the day. However, metro-area library systems also provide assistance that goes beyond temporary protection from the weather. In fact, the Kansas City Public Library has built an entire department around helping the city’s unhoused, providing a range…
College Students Grapple with Housing Troubles as Costs Soar
Sydney Johnson did everything right. Still, water poured from her ceiling. The now-graduated University of Missouri student spent winter break taking classes and staying at her off-campus apartment. A few weeks earlier, property management sent instructions for how to avoid pipe bursts during cold months, which Johnson followed. But her upstairs neighbors were not so…
Kansas City Home Builders Push Back on Energy Efficiency Rules, Blame Them for Housing Crunch
Homebuilders say Kansas City’s energy efficiency standards hinder housing construction and increase costs. Environmentalists say they combat climate change.
Neighborhood Blocks a Low-Barrier Shelter Addressing Homelessness in Kansas City
Kansas City is debating how to spend federal funds to shelter chronically homeless people. But plans for a new low-barrier shelter faced stiff opposition.
KCPS Ponders School in Brookside for Teacher Housing
Kansas City Public Schools may convert the closed and mothballed Bryant School into teacher housing. The public is encouraged to submit feedback by May 17.
As Homelessness Surges, Kansas Communities Look to Lawrence
Lawrence has invested in services to address homelessness. But some say that has that made it a tempting place to “dump” unhoused people from other communities.
Kansas City Homeowners Don’t Want to Sell. Here’s Why
If you’re looking to buy a home in Kansas City in today’s market, brace for higher mortgage rates, limited supply and tough competition.
Better Together: Kansas Workshop Connects Agencies to Rural Communities
Local agencies have teamed up for the Kansas Rural Health and Prosperity Grants workshop, an effort to connect rural communities with government assistance.
5 Companies Own 8,000 Kansas City Area Homes, Creating Intense Competition for Residents
Kansas City homebuyers are bidding against mega-corporations for houses. This is how out real estate investment impacts local communities.
Housing Along the KC Streetcar Line
The KC Streetcar expansion from Union Station to the Country Club Plaza will be running through midtown as early as 2025. But as ridership increases along this route, so may the cost of living for many the area, including affordable housing options. On this episode of Flatland in Focus, we explore the cost of the…