Kansas Housing Resources, PHAs & Tenant Rights

Kansas renters are covered by the Kansas Residential Landlord and Tenant Act (KRLTA, K.S.A. 58-2540 and following) and served by one statewide housing finance agency, the Kansas Housing Resources Corporation (KHRC). The biggest 2026 development is source-of-income policy: in April 2026 the Legislature overrode Governor Laura Kelly’s veto to enact Senate Bill 391, which bars cities and counties from requiring landlords to accept Housing Choice Vouchers and invalidates local ordinances like the one in Lawrence. This page lays out which public housing authority covers you and its current waitlist status, the statewide and regional programs that pay rent and utilities, your rights under Kansas law, the eviction timeline, and where to get free legal help.

Major Kansas Public Housing Authorities — Current Status

Section 8 Housing Choice Vouchers are administered locally by public housing authorities (PHAs), not by the state. These are the largest Kansas PHAs and their status as of May 2026. If your nearest PHA is closed, apply to several others — you are not limited to your home city, and smaller authorities often move faster.

Wichita Housing Authority (PHA code KS004)

• Housing Choice Voucher waiting list: status changes often — check the Wichita portal at wichita.myhousing.com regularly so you don’t miss an opening window
• Also accepting applications: Project-Based Voucher (PBV) and Rental Assistance Demonstration (RAD) units
• Size: roughly 3,628 assisted units (about 3,479 vouchers and 149 public housing units)
• Income limit (very low income): set by HUD and updated yearly for your household size and area — look up the current figure via Section 8 income limits
• Contact: (316) 462-3700 · wichita.gov · 455 N Main St, Wichita, KS 67202

Topeka Housing Authority (PHA code KS002)

• Section 8 voucher list: closed. It last opened June 2015–June 2016 and there is no announced reopening date
• Public housing list: open — pre-applications are accepted with no set closing date. This is the faster path in Topeka right now. Call (785) 357-8842 or email [email protected]
• Office: 2010 SE California Ave, Topeka, KS 66607 · tha.gov
• If you live near Topeka, also apply to the Lawrence Housing Authority and statewide programs through KHRC

Other Kansas PHAs to apply to

• Lawrence–Douglas County Housing Authority
• Kansas City, Kansas Housing Authority (Wyandotte County) — note that Kansas City, MO runs a separate PHA across the state line
• Olathe, Salina, Manhattan, Garden City, and Hutchinson — smaller authorities that often have shorter waits

To find the PHA serving your ZIP code, use HUD’s PHA contact directory or our how to find your PHA guide. For the application itself, see how to apply for Section 8.

Kansas Housing Resources Corporation (KHRC) — State Programs

KHRC is the state housing finance agency the Governor designated to administer most state-level rental and housing programs. It is the right starting point for help that is not tied to a single city PHA:

• Emergency rental assistance: KHRC ran KERA, the state’s federal pandemic-era program (roughly $200M). KERA funds are drawn down — check kshousingcorp.org for any successor program currently taking applications before assuming nothing is available
• Low-Income Housing Tax Credit (LIHTC): KHRC allocates the income-restricted apartments in this database. Search HUD’s LIHTC property database for your county, or read how to find LIHTC housing
• HOME and other state-administered rental programs for areas outside the major-city PHAs
• Homebuyer assistance and HUD-approved housing counseling for households trying to move off subsidized rental

Emergency Rental Assistance in Kansas (Named Programs)

If you are behind on rent or cannot cover this month, these statewide and regional nonprofits provide emergency financial help. Funding shifts month to month, so always call first to confirm capacity:

• Catholic Charities of Northern Kansas (Salina and surrounding counties) — emergency rent, utilities, and prescription help · ccnks.org/emergencyfinancial
• Catholic Charities of Southwest Kansas (Dodge City and surrounding, 804 N. 2nd Ave) — housing and economic assistance
• Catholic Charities of Northeast Kansas and Catholic Charities of Kansas City–St. Joseph — cover Wyandotte, Johnson, and the metro counties on the Kansas side
• The Salvation Army — local corps in most Kansas cities provide one-time emergency assistance
• Local Community Action Agencies (CAAs) — every Kansas county is covered by a CAA that may run LIHEAP, weatherization, and crisis assistance
• 211 Kansas — dial 211 to be routed to whichever local program currently has openings

For the national picture, see our emergency rental assistance guide.

Utility assistance: LIHEAP

The Low Income Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP) in Kansas is administered by the Kansas Department for Children and Families (DCF). To qualify you generally must live at the address, be personally responsible for the heating costs, show recent payment history toward your primary heat source, and have household income at or below 130% of the federal poverty level. Lowering your utility burden frees up cash for rent, so apply even if you are not facing imminent shutoff. See utility assistance programs for how to apply.

Kansas Tenant Law: Key Protections at a Glance

Source-of-Income Protection in 2026: Senate Bill 391

Kansas has no statewide source-of-income protection — landlords across the state can legally refuse to rent to you because you would pay with a Section 8 voucher, SSI, SSDI, VA benefits, or other lawful assistance.

The city of Lawrence had passed a local ordinance barring source-of-income discrimination. In April 2026 the Kansas Legislature overrode Governor Laura Kelly’s veto of Senate Bill 391 (Senate 31–8, House 85–38 on April 10, 2026). SB 391 prohibits any city or county from adopting or enforcing an ordinance that requires landlords to accept Housing Choice Vouchers or otherwise restricts a landlord’s ability to consider a tenant’s income source. Local ordinances that conflict with the law — including Lawrence’s — are invalidated as of July 1, 2026. (SB 391 is the bill that became law; its House companion, HB 2504, did not.)

What this means in practice: in 2026, part of the work of using a voucher in Kansas is finding landlords who already participate in Section 8. Ask your PHA for its list of participating landlords. For what is still enforceable nationally and how to document a refusal, see our source-of-income protections guide.

Rental registration requirements

• Wichita: annual rental registration (about $25 per unit) with periodic housing-code inspections
• Topeka: rental licensing with inspection requirements
• Lawrence: rental licensing with fees scaled by number of units

If your landlord is unregistered, that is leverage for habitability complaints — contact your city’s code enforcement office.

Security deposits

Under K.S.A. 58-2550, the maximum deposit is one month’s rent for an unfurnished unit and 1.5 months for a furnished unit, plus a separate pet deposit where allowed. The landlord must return the deposit within 30 days after move-out with an itemized list of any deductions, which can only cover actual damage beyond normal wear and tear. If the landlord wrongfully withholds your deposit or fails to provide the itemized statement, you may recover the amount wrongfully withheld plus damages of 1.5 times that amount. See how to recover your security deposit; Kansas Legal Services can help you file in small claims court.

Eviction process

Kansas landlords must go through the courts. Self-help eviction — changing locks, shutting off utilities, or removing your belongings — is illegal no matter the reason. The standard sequence under K.S.A. 58-2564 is:

• Nonpayment of rent: a 3-day notice to pay or vacate before the landlord can file (add 2 days if the notice was mailed)
• Other lease violation: a notice describing the breach; the lease terminates in 30 days unless you cure within the first 14 days. A second substantially similar violation in the same lease term can skip the cure period
• Ending a month-to-month tenancy: 30 days’ written notice from either side
• Court filing: a forcible detainer action in district court. You receive a summons, and you should appear — do not skip court, because default judgments lead to fast lockouts
• Right to counsel: Kansas does not guarantee a lawyer in eviction cases, but Kansas Legal Services represents low-income tenants for free

See understanding landlord notices and how to avoid eviction if you have received one.

How long does a Kansas eviction take?

Timelines vary by county court calendar, but a typical uncontested case runs about three to six weeks from the first notice to a sheriff-enforced lockout: roughly 3 days for the pay-or-vacate notice to expire, a few days to a couple of weeks for the court to set a first hearing after the petition is filed, a short period after judgment for any appeal window, and then issuance and execution of a writ of restitution by the sheriff. Contesting the case, requesting a continuance, or raising a habitability or improper-notice defense can extend it. The most important step is to appear at the hearing and bring your documents.

Where to Get Help in Kansas

Free legal aid: Kansas Legal Services (1-800-723-6953) represents low-income Kansans in eviction defense, habitability complaints, and discrimination cases.

State housing finance agency: Kansas Housing Resources Corporation administers state housing programs, LIHTC, rental assistance, and homebuyer help.

Find your local PHA: use HUD’s PHA contact directory or our how to find your PHA guide.

211 helpline: dial 2-1-1 or visit 211.org for shelters, utility help, and social services across Kansas.

HUD fair housing: file a discrimination complaint with HUD’s Office of Fair Housing or call 1-800-669-9777.

Greater Kansas City Coalition to End Homelessness: if you are in the KC metro on either side of the state line, call 211 or 1-816-924-7997.

Next Steps

Not sure which program fits your situation? Our Where to Start tool asks a few quick questions — emergency versus long-term, family versus individual, employed versus on benefits — and routes you to the right combination of Kansas programs in about two minutes.

If you have an eviction notice in hand, call Kansas Legal Services the same day, and read eviction prevention for what to do before your court date.