With Chronic Homelessness Projected to Double by 2029, Zero KC Is Combining Low-Barrier Shelter, Outreach, and Permanent Housing to Reach Stability
As of May 2025, Kansas City had the highest rate of chronic rough sleepers in the country. Their homeless population is set to double by 2029. Rough sleepers in Kansas City live in some of the most dangerous parts of the country. Personal items are never safe. Theft is ubiquitous. And escaping the system can feel impossible.
Despite these barriers, the city’s director in its fight to end homelessness, Josh Henges, claims “homelessness is [still] the most solvable problem America has chosen not to solve.”
Kansas City’s plan, called “Zero KC,” is built on a foundation of five central beliefs.
- Living outside is dangerous
- Kansas City needs more housing
- Wraparound services are critical
- One size does not fit all
- Solving homelessness requires investment
These claims seem straightforward, but they identify that solving homelessness does not simply include getting people off the streets…