On any given night, an estimated 943 people in rural Kansas and 1,569 people in rural Missouri are homeless. But the actual numbers are likely far greater. … In cities and urban areas, unhoused people will often be on the streets, in public encampments, or in shelters. In more rural areas, people will seek shelter in the woods, abandoned farm buildings or couch surf. Shanae Eggert with Kansas Homeless Coalition said the “hidden homeless population” of rural areas perpetuates a cycle of scarcity. “We don’t identify as many people who are actually experiencing homelessness (as) we would in an urban area, and it’s unfortunately a cycle,” Eggert said. “Because this population is more hidden in those areas, you can’t show an accurate need like you could in the city.”
Source: KCUR News
