🏠 Rent, eviction, or shelter
¿No habla inglés? Llame al 211 — intérpretes gratis en su idioma. Free interpreters in your language (Kiswahili, မြန်မာ, دری, العربية, Tiếng Việt, Soomaali, Kreyòl, नेपाली…) — call 211.
Which side of the state line do you live on?
1. "I can't pay this month's rent"
- Tell your landlord before the due date if you can. Ask for a payment plan in writing. Many will work with you.
- Call 211 and ask for rent assistance in your county. Funds change month to month — they know who has money today.
- Apply the moment funds open. The programs below run out fast. Timing matters more than anything.
⏰ Timing rule most people don't know: applications open online at 9:00 AM on the 15th of each month (or the Monday after, if the 15th is a weekend) — and the money goes fast. Set an alarm.
mlmkc.org → rent & utility assistance
Checked online · June 10, 2026Rent and utility help, plus landlord mediation.
Checked online · June 10, 2026Up to $5,000 for up to 6 months of back rent, for Johnson County renters. One of the best programs in the metro.
Checked online · June 10, 2026Rent help in KCK flows through nonprofits. Start with 211 to find which has funds this month, or eofkck.org / cross-lines.org.
Checked online · June 10, 20262. "I got an eviction notice or court papers"
If you don't show up, you lose automatically — even if you had a good case. Going to court buys you time and options, often weeks of them.
- Read the papers and find the court date. Put it everywhere — phone, fridge, a friend's phone.
- Get a free lawyer — today, not the day before court. Use the number for your state below.
- Keep paying what you can and save proof of every payment and message with your landlord.
If you live in Kansas City, Missouri and face eviction, you have a right to a free lawyer. 211 runs the application line.
Call 211 — say "Right to Counsel"
Checked online · June 10, 2026Free legal help with evictions across western Missouri. They will never ask you for money — anyone who does is a scam.
Checked online · June 10, 2026Free legal help statewide, and the clearest eviction guides anywhere — including what each notice means and how mediation works.
1-800-723-6953 · kansaslegalservices.org → evictions
Checked online · June 10, 20263. "I need a safe place to sleep tonight"
- Call 211 now. Say "shelter tonight." They check live availability and connect you to the metro's shelter intake — that's the front door to nearly every bed in KC.
- During the day, the KC Public Library's 3North desk at the Central Library has real humans who help with exactly this: 816-701-3767.
- If you're in danger at home, call or text 988, or the National DV Hotline: 1-800-799-7233.