Trying to stay cool during this heatwave? Here’s where to find free AC in Kansas City

Kynala Phillips

While tenants across the metro brace themselves for triple digit temperatures, staying cool remains harder for some residents without access to air conditioning. It’s estimated that 8.7% of American households don’t have air conditioning, according to U.S. Census data.

In the Kansas City metro, less than 2% of households lack an air conditioning unit. That means that tens of thousands of people are living without air conditioning throughout the metro.

National Weather Service meteorologist Brent Pesel said the city is seeing a slight uptick in temperatures in comparison to past years in Kansas City. This week temperatures will get as high as 102 degrees, the first time Kansas City will see triple digit temperatures since 2018, according to Pesel.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, when temperatures get that high, fans are no longer any help. The best way to avoid heat-related illnesses is finding an air conditioned place to cool off.

Despite the string of high temperatures, Kansas and Missouri landlords are not obligated to provide residents with air conditioning. In 2020, the Kansas City Council passed the Tenants Bill of Rights, which states that rental units must have heat, but it doesn’t guarantee the right to air conditioning. In Kansas, it’s the same. Landlords have to provide heat but don’t need to provide any cooling.

Earlier this month, nearly 100 residents in a Kansas City apartment complex spent almost two weeks without air conditioning, just after the Kansas City Health Department required the building’s landlord to install air conditioning units, KMBC News reported.

Not only were residents reeling from the heat, but many were concerned that once the air conditioners were running, it would drive up their electricity bills, according to the report.

Here are places in Kansas City to seek relief if your air conditioning is out or you don’t have any.

How the city can help

One resource for residents who are having trouble accessing cool air in their homes, is the Kansas City Health Department’s Healthy Homes Rental Inspection program. If the heat in your apartment is unbearable or you think more could be done to cool off your building or unit, you can call the healthy rental homes program for an inspection.

KCMO Health Department deputy director Naser Jouhari said that his team has received increased complaints from residents who are having issues with the heat in their apartments.

People can file a complaint by either calling 311, or call 816-513-6357. Once they reach the health department, a staff member will make sure the resident has been in touch with their landlord.

If the landlord is not helpful, the health department will send a staff member to inspect the unit or building within 24 hours, according to Jouhari. Based on whatever the staff member finds, the health department will arrange a corrective action plan for the landlord to help resolve the issue.

Solutions can include asking the landlord to fix existing equipment in a unit to make sure there is cool air available or even giving a tenant a voucher to help them ride out the heat in a hotel if their home is too hot, according to Jouhari.

Have you worked with the Healthy Homes Inspection program before? If so, please email us at kcq@kcstar.com and tell us more about your experience.

Cooling centers

If you need help in the short term, you can also spend the day in one of the many cooling centers throughout the metro. Ten of the city’s community centers will be open and available as cooling centers during the incoming heat wave.

  • Atchison Family YMCA/Cray Community Center, 321 Commercial St. in Atchison

  • Bonner Springs Family YMCA, 2251 S. 138th St. in Bonner Springs,

  • Cleaver Family YMCA, 7000 Troost Ave. in Kansas City

  • Linwood YMCA/James B. Nutter, Sr. Community Center, 3800 E. Linwood Blvd. in Kansas City

  • North Kansas City YMCA, 1999 Iron St. in North Kansas City

  • Olathe Family YMCA, 21400 W. 153rd St. in Olathe

  • Paul Henson Family YMCA, 4200 W. 79th St. in Prairie Village

  • Platte County Community Center South, 8875 Clark Ave. in Parkville

  • Platte County Community Center North, 3101 Running Horse Road in Platte City,

  • Providence YMCA/Ball Family Center, 8601 Parallel Parkway in Kansas City, Kansas

  • Red Bridge Family YMCA, 11300 Holmes Road in Kansas City

The city is also offering cooling buses at 31st Street and Van Brunt Avenue and Barney Allis Plaza from 11 a.m. until 7 p.m.

Sprayground parks will also be available. To see a full list of sprayground parks in the city, check here.

Free Air Conditioners for people 65 and older

If you or someone you know is 65 years or older and in need of an air conditioner, the Bishop Sullivan Center’s Project ElderCool can also be useful. The program has given out more than 5,000 window unit air conditioners since it was founded in 2000. The program has given out 95 air conditioners, this year alone, according to Bishop Sullivan Center’s Emergency Assistance Supervisor Shilo Foster.

Jerry Cline of Total Heating and Cooling works on a air conditioner unit in 2011.
Jerry Cline of Total Heating and Cooling works on a air conditioner unit in 2011.

The project mainly targets elderly residents in need of cooling, but they also serve people with respiratory issues. In order to apply, residents should call 816-561-8515 x113 and then an intake coordinator will do a short interview with the caller. If the caller is 65 and older or has a respiratory disability, they will schedule someone to install an air conditioner for free as early as the next day.

The program also is accepting donations. According to the center’s website, a $250 donation will cover an air conditioner along with delivery and installation in the recipient’s home. Providing a $150 donation will help pay their electric bill and offset the cost to run their new air conditioner. Learn more about how to donate here.

Need help paying your energy bill?

For those who need assistance with their energy bills due to AC use, the Low Income Home Energy Assistance program is also available. This federal program provides each state with funding to help families cut down on the costs of home energy bills, weatherization costs and energy related home repairs.

To learn more about how to enroll in the program, you can call the national hotline at 866-674-6327. For Missouri-specific assistance, call 573-526-0677. If you’re on the Kansas side, call 785-296-0147.

United Way’s 211

If the programs mentioned above aren’t useful but you still need help finding efficient ways to stay cool this summer, try calling United Way’s 211 helpline. The helpline is a 24-hour resource that can connect you to programming and financial assistance that will match your needs.

You can also search through United Way’s resource directory by visiting here.

Robert A. Cronkleton contributed to this story

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