Fact-Checking the Housing Voucher Crisis: Are 17,000 Kansas Citians Really Searching for a Home?
Kansas City Mayor Quinton Lucas recently claimed that landlords’ legal challenges to the city’s Source of Income ordinance are preventing over 17,000 Kansas Citians with housing vouchers from finding stable housing. However, a deep dive into federal HUD data and discussions with local housing experts paint a much different picture.
At MAREI, we have been tracking housing policy and engaging with city officials since 2019. We believe it is critical to set the record straight—especially when public statements do not align with the data.
At a recent meeting of local housing providers at WinVestor’s, Michelle Winberry took us on a tour of the real numbers, see the video below.
Actual Data
As of November 2024, the Housing Authority of Kansas City (HAKC) reported:
- Total Vouchers Issued: 6,862
- Budget Utilization: 104.62%
- Average Per Unit Cost: $818.95
- 12-Month Attrition Rate: 7.74%
- Vouchers Ported Out to Other Jurisdictions: 77
- Families Actively Seeking Housing with Vouchers: 290
These figures indicate that while there are 6,862 vouchers in circulation, only 290 families are currently searching for housing. This discrepancy raises questions about the claim of 17,000 residents being affected.
1. Are 17,000 Renters Really Searching for Homes with a Voucher?
According to HUD’s Housing Choice Voucher (HCV) Data Dashboard, the Kansas City Housing Authority currently manages 6,862 active vouchers—with no remaining vouchers available for issue. Even if landlords across the city were to suddenly open their doors to more voucher holders, there is no federal funding to support additional placements.
The HUD data further shows that at the end of 2024, Kansas City had already spent 104.62% of its allotted budget for the voucher program. This means that every issued voucher is accounted for, and no additional funds exist to support more placements.
Most importantly, the actual number of voucher holders actively searching for housing is not 17,000—it is only 290 households. These are families with a voucher in hand but still seeking an available rental.
👉 See the real-time HUD data here: HUD HCV Dashboard
2. Where Does the 17,000 Number Come From?
The likely source of this number is the Kansas City Housing Authority’s waiting list, which currently holds approximately 29,000 people. While these applicants are waiting for assistance, they do not yet have vouchers and therefore are not actively searching for voucher-eligible rentals.
Furthermore, those 29,000 people already have housing today—or we would be facing an unprecedented homelessness crisis. The waiting list simply reflects individuals who would prefer a subsidized unit over their current housing situation.
3. The Real Issue: Federal Funding and Policy Gaps
Rather than blaming housing providers, the conversation should focus on the structural issues within the Housing Voucher Program itself:
- No Guaranteed Income: Landlords are not rejecting renters—they are rejecting a government program that can be unreliable. Rent payments can be delayed or reduced due to a tenant’s job change, age-out events, or federal funding shortfalls.
- Over Budget with No Additional Vouchers: Even if every landlord accepted vouchers tomorrow, there is no funding for new vouchers beyond the existing 6,862.
- Mismatch Between Voucher Types and Available Housing: Many available rentals do not match the voucher program’s rigid rules. For example, a single person issued a one-bedroom voucher cannot rent a two-bedroom unit, even if it costs the same or less.
- No Incentive to Transition Off Vouchers: The lack of an effective pathway for tenants to transition out of the program has led to lower turnover, keeping the waiting list stagnant for decades.
4. Landlords Are Part of the Solution, Not the Problem
Mayor Lucas’s statement suggests that Kansas City housing providers have resisted working with the city, but the reality is far different. For years, local landlords have actively engaged with city officials, housing advocates, and renters to find sustainable solutions—only to have their input dismissed.
Instead of working collaboratively to improve the housing ecosystem, the city has imposed anti-landlord regulations that have:
✅ Driven more locally owned housing into the hands of out-of-state hedge funds
✅ Made it harder to renovate and build new housing due to a broken permitting system
✅ Forced landlords into legal battles simply to protect their constitutional rights
The city has even used taxpayer funds to provide legal representation for tenants in eviction court—against private housing providers. Meanwhile, landlords must personally fund legal representation to defend their rights in court.
And think about it . . . if all the landlords who house more than half the families in the city were to suddenly that their housing and just shut it down . . . where would all those people go . . are they going to purchase a home because there are now no more rental properties available . . . or is the federal and state government going to step up and provide housing for everyone, there are a few who are advocating for this . . . imagine, no more rental housing except that provided by the government.
Knowing Your Product and Exit Strategy
Kansas City Housing Providers
Michelle Winberry leader at WinVestors
Brian Winberry leader at WinVestors
Brendon Pishny leader at Johnson County Landlords
Trudy Moffitt leader at Johnson County Landlords
Kim Tucker leader at Mid-America Association of Real Estate Investors
Mark Yanda Member
Instead of relying on inaccurate and misleading statistics, we urge Kansas City officials, policymakers, and the media to examine the real numbers.
The issue is not landlord resistance. The issue is that there is no funding to house 17,000 additional people, nor have 17,000 vouchers been issued. If policymakers are serious about addressing the housing crisis, the conversation needs to shift to federal funding, program inefficiencies, and barriers to housing development—not scapegoating the very people providing homes.
Journalists & Media: Get the Facts Straight
We welcome any journalist or policymaker to review the actual data and join the discussion. Let’s ensure that housing policy is built on facts, not rhetoric.
📊 For real-time Housing Voucher Data, visit:
👉 HUD HCV Dashboard
✉️ For more information or an interview with housing providers, contact MAREI.
