News

43,000 Kansans Lose Health Insurance During COVID-19 The COVID-19 pandemic and the resulting economic downturn has caused the greatest health insurance losses in American history, according to a newly published report by Families USA. At least 43,000 Kansas residents have become uninsured due to job losses that occurred between February and May 2020. Currently, more than 1 in 7 Kansas residents do not have health insurance - a 20% increase from 2018. Kansas ranks in the top 20 states with the highest uninsured rates. Of those states, only 8 have expanded Medicaid. As of July 2020, Kansas is one of only ...

Renters and Essential Workers Experience Housing "Cost-Burden" The latest fact sheet from UCS explores whether residents in essential jobs can afford to live in Johnson County, especially considering the economic consequences of COVID-19. Housing represents one of the largest expenses in a household budget, and where one lives can impact access to schools, jobs, and community resources. Housing costs that exceed 30% of household income have historically been viewed as unsustainable and an indicator of an affordability problem; the term "cost-burdened" is used to define this indicator. In Johnson County, approximately 24% of households are burdened by the cost of ...

Housing Segregation and the Birth of Johnson County - View the Video Story UCS promotes a vision and a belief that our efforts - research, education, advocacy, resource allocation and most importantly thoughtful planning and collaboration - can impact and improve the well-being of our community's most vital and diverse resource: its people. That is why we have focused on the need for attainable housing options for all Johnson County residents. We want to ensure that Johnson County has an array of housing options to meet the needs of residents so that everyone can thrive. Our history tells us that ...

UCS Human Service Summit - Register Today! UCS' annual Summit will be held Wednesday, August 26, 8:30 a.m. - 12:30 p.m. at the Johnson County Arts & Heritage Center Join UCS for the 2020 Human Service Summit - Build Our Housing Future. Be a part of the community conversation on housing, get an early look at housing data and survey insights from the Housing Study, and learn how you can participate in the Housing Task Force. This year's Summit will focus on the 2020 Johnson County Municipalities Community Housing Study/Task Force that is currently underway. The cities, county and UCS ...

UCS Human Service Summit - Save the Date Mark your calendars now for the Human Service Summit, Wednesday, August 26, 8:30 a.m. - 12:30 p.m. at the Johnson County Arts & Heritage Center This year's Summit will focus on Health and Housing and the 2020 Johnson County Municipalities Community Housing Study that is currently underway. In planning this year's event, UCS continues to be mindful of health and safety guidance regarding meetings and the current COVID-19 pandemic. More information on how you can participate will be available as soon as registration opens. Effects of COVID-19 on Income and Housing Nearly one ...

A Statement from United Community Services of Johnson County Current protests in our Kansas City Metro area and around the country continue to shine a light on racial inequities, especially those impacting our Black residents. UCS has spent more than half a century utilizing research and data to identify needs, service gaps, and adverse impacts on the human condition. Disparities based on race and ethnicity have been documented in Johnson County level data on homelessness, access to insurance, income and employment, educational attainment, housing, and even life expectancy.  UCS' most recent fact sheet highlights how the COVID 19 pandemic brings into focus ...

Characteristics of Children Staying at Home During COVID-19 The COVID-19 crisis and subsequent stay-at-home order in Kansas has generated a new normal in Johnson County: children are staying at home. Public schools have been ordered to close, and many of them will remain closed until the end of the current academic year and through the summer. Many childcare centers and out-of-school programs have also closed temporarily and are evaluating how to reopen safely while maintaining social distancing protocols, which may result in fewer available slots. In Johnson County, there are more than 145,500 children under the age of 18. 97% ...

Unemployment Data Shows More Claims in Industries Dominated by Women Recent data from the Kansas Department of Labor indicates that most initial unemployment claims from Johnson County residents in the weeks following the COVID-19 economic lockdown were made by women. In the first several weeks of 2020 (through March 14), only 35% of initial unemployment claims came from women. Since that time, 3 out of 5 initial claims have come from women. The increase in claims from women may be related to the Johnson County industries that are experiencing the greatest instability in our region. In each of the five ...

COVID-19 Job Losses Occurring in Industries that Employ Nearly Half of Johnson County Workforce Since the COVID-19 outbreak, Kansas has experienced record unemployment numbers. In the four weeks since Kansas issued a State of Emergency in response to the public health crisis, 65% of unemployment claims have been from workers in five industries. The following industries represent the largest share of unemployment claims in Kansas: Accommodation and Food Services Manufacturing Retail Trade Health Care and Social Assistance Other Services except Public Administration (a U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics category that encompasses a broad range of occupations including equipment and machinery ...

Women's Income in Johnson County As Women's History Month comes to a close, UCS has released new research about the economic experiences of women in our community. Data from the U.S. Census Bureau indicates that nearly 19,700 households in Johnson County are female-headed households. The poverty rate for female-headed households is four times higher than the overall household poverty rate in Johnson County, which may be related to the stark income disparity between men and women. The median family income for female-headed households is approximately 72% of the income for male-headed households, a trend that has been consistent over the ...