For Kansas City residents living on the street, the prospect of escaping subfreezing temperatures hinges on the availability of a shelter bed. When temperatures drop to 32 degrees, the human body is at risk of hypothermia. Frostbite can set in within 30 minutes without proper protection when air temperatures fall below 5 degrees and in […]
winter
Posted inHousing
A winter guide to Kansas City area renters’ rights
For a renter, waking up to a broken heater or burst pipes can kick off months of negotiations with a landlord. And even when it’s fixed, improper insulation or outdated windows can let the heat out and balloon energy bills.
Some cities have rules to make sure that safety issues like heat get fixed quickly. In Kansas City, Missouri, you can file a Healthy Homes complaint to get problems fixed. In Overland Park, you can submit an OPCares request to ask a city inspector to take a look.
Here’s a guide to what the law requires of your landlord, as well as some renter-friendly tips on how you can keep your apartment warm and safe during the winter months.
Posted inCivic Engagement, Watchdog
‘Stay safe and alive’: How Wichitans are helping their unhoused neighbors this winter
Last February, a historic cold snap shocked Wichita, plunging temperatures below zero and forcing people inside — including those without homes. As winter again tugs temperatures down and whips wind gusts up, advocates and nonprofits serving the unsheltered are working to protect them. In the shadow of St. John’s Episcopal Church on Topeka Street in […]