Rents in Kansas City went up 6% overall in the last year, but over the same time period, rent increased by 13.1% in eastern Kansas City. What's not clear is how the average renter can make up the difference — and how life in Kansas City changes if they can’t.

This week, we're kicking off a series of stories on housing in Kansas City. We speak to KCUR news director Lisa Rodriguez about what to expect from this collaboration with the KC Media Collective. And Gina Kaufmann, host of the KCUR podcast Real Humans, brings us the story of how rising apartment costs have serious consequences for renters and the city as a whole.

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Kansas City Today is hosted by Nomin Ujiyediin. It is produced by Byron Love, with special production this episode from Mackenzie Martin, and edited by Gabe Rosenberg and Lisa Rodriguez.

Subscribe to Real Humans By Gina Kaufmann on Apple Podcasts or Spotify.

You can support both Kansas City Today and Real Humans By Gina Kaufmann by becoming a KCUR member: kcur.org/donate