For decades, United Way has helped low-income and vulnerable households struggling with housing stability. Every day, our 211 staff members hear directly from Kansas Citians who are in need of rent assistance, housing support or a safe bed during extreme temperatures.
When the COVID-19 pandemic hit, the eviction crisis was heightened. United Way responded by working with a network of 30+ community partners to leverage millions of federal resource dollars available through the CARES Act and American Rescue Plan, along with funding from area foundations and individual donors. To date, more than 75,000 people in the KC metro have received rent or utility assistance that prevented them from losing their homes.
United Way has also formed a unique partnership with area legal service providers to assist those in the final throes of the eviction process. Since this partnership launched in 2020, more than 1,500 evictions have been halted in area housing courts—preventing homelessness for 3,500+ people.
In this video, Chief Impact Officer, Jim MacDonald, describes United Way’s Eviction Prevention Initiative that began in the summer of 2020.