Growing Affordability Crisis Linked to Rise in Local Homelessness in New Wichita/Sedgwick County Report

WICHITA, Kan., June 17, 2026 — The new “2026 State of Homelessness in Wichita/Sedgwick County Report” from the Coalition to End Homelessness in Wichita/Sedgwick County reveals that the growing affordability crisis for local households is contributing to an increase in homelessness.

More than one in three households (38%) in Sedgwick County were living paycheck to paycheck in 2024, according to United for ALICE in partnership with United Way of the Plains. ALICE, which stands for Asset Limited, Income Constrained, Employed, represents working households who earn above the federal poverty line but not enough to cover the cost of basic necessities. As the costs of essentials, including housing, childcare, food, transportation, healthcare, and technology, continue to outpace inflation, these households are especially vulnerable to housing insecurity and homelessness. Between 2007 and 2024, the cost of these essential needs grew by 59% in Kansas, compared with 52% for the broader Consumer Price Index (CPI), which reports inflation across more than 200 categories of goods and services.

A clear indicator of this growing affordability crisis is reflected in housing costs. A household is considered cost-burdened when they spend 30% or more of its income on housing. 62% of ALICE renters (27,175 households) and 44% of ALICE homeowners (17,306 households) in Sedgwick County were housing cost burdened in 2023.

“As housing and basic living costs continue to outpace wages, more households are being pushed into instability,” said Matt Lowe, United Way of the Plains Director of Community Impact. “Too many of our neighbors are living on the edge of a financial crisis, where a single, unexpected expense leads to homelessness.”

Since 2020, the number of newly homeless households has grown by 147% in Sedgwick County. In 2025, 2,077 households experienced homelessness for the first time.

The impact of these financial strains is reflected in the annual Point-in-Time (PIT) Count, conducted by the Coalition to End Homelessness in Wichita/Sedgwick County. The single-night homeless census, held Jan. 29, 2026, identified 637 sheltered and 222 unsheltered individuals experiencing homelessness.
For perspective, while Wichita/Sedgwick County experienced an increase year-on-year in homelessness, Kansas remains one of only 11 states with fewer than 10 individuals experiencing homelessness per 10,000 residents.

“Behind every number in the Point-in-Time Count is a person navigating real challenges to find safe, stable housing,” said Brent Castillo, Vice Chair of the Coalition to End Homelessness board of directors and Director of Business Development for Dondlinger Construction. “These results reflect continued pressure in our local housing system and reinforce the importance of coordinated community-wide solutions to make homelessness rare, brief, and non-recurring.”

Data from the PIT Count also guides the Coalition’s year-round housing efforts. Through community collaboration with service providers, local government, businesses, and individuals with lived experience, the Coalition often succeeds in aligning housing, support services, and community resources to help our unhoused neighbors move toward stability. In 2025, those coordinated efforts positively resulted in:

• 1,360 individuals exited homelessness to positive housing outcomes.
• 5,082 individuals were served 84,079 times by Coalition members through emergency shelter, transitional housing, and housing services.
• 565 individuals in priority populations (veterans, youth, unsheltered, and chronic) were assessed through case conferencing, a weekly multi-agency meeting to collaborate on ways to remove barriers to housing.

To view the “2026 State of Homelessness in Wichita/Sedgwick County” report, with more details of populations impacted most by affordability and homelessness, visit https://unitedwayplains.org/coalition-to-end-homelessness-in-wichita-sedgwick-county/data-and-reports/.

To learn more about the work of the Coalition, led by United Way of the Plains, visit CoalitionToEndHomelessness.org.

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MEDIA ASSETS: For downloadable b-roll of this year’s Point-in-Time Count, click here.

MEDIA CONTACT: Bryan Ramsdale, Manager of Digital Content Creation, (316) 267-1321, ext. 4103, bramsdale@unitedwayplains.org

United Way of the Plains mobilizes our community to action so all can thrive. From strengthening local resilience to advancing health, youth opportunity, and financial security, we’re working towards a future where every person in south-central Kansas can reach their full potential. Follow us on these social media channels: Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, YouTube, and TikTok.