To prepare for anticipated extreme heat across the Midwest, the City of Kansas City’s Division of Unhoused Solutions (DUS), in partnership with community organizations, is launching CoolKC: Extreme Heat Response.

Extreme heat impacts everyone and disproportionately affects seniors, children, unhoused individuals, transit riders, outdoor workers, and families without reliable access to cooling. Through CoolKC, the City and partner organizations will work together to protect vulnerable residents from dangerous heat.

This year’s effort focuses on supporting transit riders and preparing Kansas City for an increase in visitors tied to major international events. With more than 3,000 bus stops across the metro, many lacking shade or cooling options, CoolKC is asking the community to help. Small actions—like offering water or supporting a nearby bus stop—can make a big difference during extreme heat.   

Save the Date: CoolKC Kickoff Event
Friday, June 5 
1:00 PM – 5:00 PM 
3735 Wabash Ave., Kansas City, MO 

Read more about supporting CoolKC efforts and view the webinar by visiting coolkc.info/volunteer.

• Learn about Low Barrier, Emergency Shelter 

Living outside is dangerous: People experiencing homelessness have a higher risk of grievous injury and premature death due to hazardous environments, violence, disease and illness, and drug use.

OUS’s encampment response strategy reflects the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) and the United States Interagency Council on Homelessness (USICH) standards.

• This strategy focuses on the health, safety, and quality of life for all individuals living unsheltered and the surrounding community.

Effective street outreach is often the first point of contact for people who might not seek assistance due to systemic barriers. Learn more about the different types of street outreach.

Successful outreach efforts can be time-consuming because they require:

• Progressive Engagement, and
• Building Trust

OUS is increasing outreach presence through the following:

1. Assertive Community Treatment (ACT) Outreach Team – This team is a six-month pilot program that includes five organizations.
2. Impactful Street Outreach Training – Standardized training ensures all outreach workers have the appropriate foundation to support people experiencing homelessness.
3. Project Outreach Connect – This project focuses on encampments that have been prioritized. Over 26 organizations are involved to support folks living in the encampments on meeting their needs.
4. Community Outreach Meetings – Coordinated Outreach Resources and Engagement (CORE) provides education, resources, and collaboration with over 60 partner agencies to support unhoused individuals.
5. Show the Way (Mobile Street Outreach App) – Show the Way is used by Street Outreach Staff to track individual housing pathways, coordinate service collaboration, and streamline communication and referrals.

The lead agency for the Jackson and Wyandotte County Continuum of Care (CoC) is the Greater Kansas City Coalition to End Homelessness (GKCCEH). OUS supports the CoC in the following leadership roles to support the Built for Zero Movement:

• Coordinated Entry Governance Committee
• Coordinated Outreach Resources and Engagement (CORE) Lead
• Project Outreach Connect
• Lived Experience Advisory Committee
• Cold Weather Planning Committee

Homelessness does not happen in a vacuum. It requires people and organizations from all backgrounds to work together for multiple solutions.

Zero KC is currently focused on the following areas of collaboration with people and organizations already in the system:

• Standardized use of the street outreach app, Show the Way
• Providing spaces for landlords in sub-committees
• Developing a Cold Weather Plan to provide infrastructure and serve as a model for future collaboration efforts

Homelessness does not happen in a vacuum. It requires people and organizations from all backgrounds to work together for multiple solutions.

OUS provides the following to engage neighborhoods and business communities: 

• Community-wide trainings
• Attendance at district meetings
• Engagement with Neighborhood Associations and developers
• Responding to myKCMO reports and concerns regarding homelessness

• Affordable Housing Report 2024
• Community Improvement District Playbook

Encampment Clearance Resources

• Encampment Response Strategy
• Encampment Prioritization Matrix
• Overview: Encampment Response Strategy
• Sample Report: Encampment Response Strategy

Emergency Shelter

• Ten Things to Consider When Opening an Emergency Shelter
• The Importance of Low-Barrier Shelter Space for Youth and LGBTQIA+ Populations

• Quick Overview of Zero KC.
• Read the plan to create a Kansas City where everyone thrives in a safe, quality home.
• Kansas City Community Needs Assessment: A Foundation For Ending Homelessness.
• Learn about Low Barrier, Emergency Shelter 

• Type 1 & Type 2 Outreach
• Progressive Engagement
• REACH Planning
• HEAT Team Overview