Finding felon friendly housing in Kansas City is one of the biggest struggles felons face on release from prison, but safe housing is the foundation of a successful reentry. Use the resources listed in this guide to begin your search for housing in Kansas City.
Transitional Housing
Transitional housing is short-term accommodation for returning citizens. Housing may be provided through a comprehensive reentry program or it may be shelter-based housing. If you’re on parole or probation, your supervision officer will help you find transitional housing.
You can contact housing providers yourself, but many providers require a referral from a probation officer.
To find providers offering short-term felon-friendly housing in Kansas City, visit https://www.transitionalhousing.org/.
Because Kansas City straddles two states, you’ll need to look through the listings for Kansas and Missouri.
Emergency Shelters Offering Felon Friendly Housing Kansas City 2024
If you’re homeless or about to be homeless and don’t know where to turn, your best immediate option is an emergency shelter. Shelters provide a safe place to sleep, bathrooms, meals, clothing, medical care, and basic necessities.
Most shelters have staff or trained volunteers ready to help you access other support services, apply for housing programs, find stable employment, and look for permanent felon-friendly housing.
United Way has a free emergency helpline you can call 24 hours a day to get information about shelters in Kansas City. Call free on 211.
You can also contact shelters directly. Here are several shelters offering a range of support programs and housing for felons in Kansas City.
Kansas City Rescue Mission
Bed sign-up: 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.
Address: 1520 Cherry St, Kansas City.
Website: https://www.shelterkc.org/ministries/get-help/ (details services and intake instructions)
Phone: 816-421-7643
City Union Mission
To get help call the hotline: 816-474-4599
Address: 1100 East 11th Street, Kansas City
Website: https://cityunionmission.org/what-we-do/get-help-now/
ReStart
Website: https://www.restartinc.org/get-help
Address: 918 East 9th Street, Kansas City
Phone: 816-472-5664
Affordable Housing
If you’re on a low income, contact low-income housing providers to find affordable housing.
Landlords offering affordable housing in Kansas City receive funding from the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) and rents are lower than average for the area.
Demand for affordable housing is high, and you may need to join a waiting list. Join as many waiting lists as you can to increase your chances of getting an apartment.
To find affordable, apartments that accept felons in Kansas City, contact landlords directly and apply. You’ll usually need to go through a background check, but there isn’t a blanket ban on felons.
Affordable Housing Listings
Kansas City, Missouri – https://www.lowincomehousing.us/MO/kansas_city.html
Kansas City, Kansas – https://www.lowincomehousing.us/KS/kansas_city.html
Public Housing & Section 8
HUD also provides funding for the Kansas City Public Housing Program and the Housing Choice Voucher Program (Section 8). These programs support low-income households, ensuring renters don’t pay more than 30% of their income towards housing costs.
Both programs are open to felons, although you will need to go through a background screening and may be rejected if you’re a registered sex offender, have a violent felony, or drug-related felony.
The Public Housing Program provides accommodation in local authority-owned housing. The Housing Choice Voucher Program pays a portion of the rent directly to landlords in the private rental market who accept housing vouchers.
Once you’re in the voucher program, the financial support stays with you if you move to a new rental anywhere in the United States.
Contact your Public Housing Authority (PHA) for more information about eligibility and details of when the waiting lists open.
For Kansas City, Kansas, the PHA website address is: https://www.kckha.org/
For Kansas City, Missouri, the PHA website address is: https://www.hakc.org/
Look for felon-friendly landlords
Landlords willing to rent to felons are usually private landlords who own a single-family home or small apartment building.
These landlords can be more flexible over your background, whereas the leasing office at a large corporate apartment complex will follow a strict policy.
The best places to search for felon-friendly housing in Kansas City, are Craigslist and Facebook Marketplace.
Both websites also list rooms for rent in shared houses and sublets. Check the listings every day for the latest rentals.
Visit Craigslist Kansas City at https://kansascity.craigslist.org/ and look in the housing section.
To access Facebook Marketplace, sign in to Facebook, then click the Marketplace icon and look for the rental category in the menu.
Extended Stay Hotels
Extended-stay hotels are another option for felon friendly apartments in Kansas City. Hotels don’t run background checks on residents, but you will need an ID and a credit card. Utilities are included with the room rental.
Rents are charged by the week and rooms have private bathrooms – some will have kitchen facilities too. Depending on the hotel/motel, breakfast may be included, and you’ll have access to laundry facilities and free parking.
Search online for “extended stay hotel Kansas City”, or look through the listings on Craigslist for second chance apartments Wichita KS.
Next Steps
For emergency housing, contact shelter providers directly or call 211.
Apply for affordable housing and contact your PHA to get on the waiting lists for Public Housing and the Housing Choice Voucher Program.
Check rental listings on Craigslist and Facebook Marketplace daily to find second-chance apartments in Kansas City missouri
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