Across federal agencies in Kansas City, call times are rising, benefits are delayed, and workers are walking out the door due to job cuts coming out of Washington.

Why it matters: The federal government is Kansas City's largest employer, with nearly 30,000 total workers across the metro.

• Cuts to agencies like the IRS, the Department of Veterans Affairs, and the Social Security Administration (SSA) are already impacting basic services.

At the same time, the pace and rate of job cuts remains a fluid and evolving process.

State of play: The Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) has thinned federal ranks through buyouts, layoffs and reassignments. In January, the White House offered thousands of federal employees severance. Then in February, some were fired outright, including workers in Kansas City.

By the numbers: About 100 IRS employees were laid off at the KC Service Center in February. Roughly 238 more took buyouts.

• The Mid-America Program Service Center in KC, part of the SSA, is under a hiring freeze, despite rising caseloads.

What they're saying: SSA employee Garth Stocking, who is also the secretary of Kansas City-based American Federation of Government Employees Local 1336, said that at the SSA, "Morale is plummeting. Everybody who can is eyeing the exits."

• He said call times at the SSA are surging, casework is backing up, and the environment has shifted.
• "We no longer have anything like the strong, collaborative workplace we had before," Stocking said. "Everyone is stressed. Anxiety is through the roof."

Between the lines: John Hurt, a benefit authorizer at the SSA, recently took a buyout after 16 years.

• He warned that the public won't notice the damage right away.
• "Everything's going to look normal for a while, maybe a year, maybe five. And then it's going to be dramatic. The infrastructure will be ripped out."

What's next: City leaders are stepping in. In March, Kansas City's council voted to fast-track hiring laid-off feds into local roles. On X, Mayor Quinton Lucas told federal workers, "We'd love to have you join us at the City."

Go deeper

Renting in Kansas City still costs less than bigger American cities, but the income needed to rent comfortably here has skyrocketed in recent years.

The big picture: Unlike renters in cities like New York or San Francisco, most Kansas Citians aren't considered "rent-burdened" under federal standards, but that gap is narrowing.

• Rent-burdened means spending more than 30% of income on housing, according to federal standards.

By the numbers: While renters here may be feeling the squeeze, the city still sits below that federal rent-burdened threshold.

• Kansas Citians need to make $61,457 annually to afford the city's average rent of $1,536, according to Zillow's latest rental report.
• Renters in the city are spending about 21.9% of their income on rent, well under the 30% benchmark that defines being cost-burdened.
• But the income needed to comfortably afford rent in Kansas City has jumped 38.7% since April 2020, according to Zillow.

What they're saying: Being a tenant in KC gets more difficult each year, Tara Raghuveer, director of the citywide tenants union KC Tenants, told KCUR last year.

• "And that has a lot of implications for our city," she said. "When tenants get priced out of a place like New York City or Chicago, they tend to come to places like Kansas City. What happens when people get priced out of Kansas City? Where do they go?"

The bottom line: Renters here may not be officially burdened yet, but affordability is eroding.

• In 2024, Kansas City officials approved $6.7 million toward eight Housing Trust Fund projects expected to create or preserve 684 affordable rental homes.

🌪️ A large tornado touched down on Tuesday in Raytown near the Truman Sports Complex, the National Weather Service confirmed. The surrounding area saw damage to roofs, windows, vehicles, and trees. (KCUR)

🏢 Unionized residents at Independence Towers reached a deal with their landlord after an eight-month rent strike. The agreement includes negotiated rent prices, zero back-pay, and extensive property repairs. (FOX4)

🎤 First Amendment Brew HaHa Comedy Club is opening at The Legends in Kansas City, Kansas, on June 18. The opening act is comedian, owner, and KC native Steve Kramer. (Kansas City Business Journal)

Tuesday's storms generated record rainfall — dumping 2.46 inches by 7pm.

• All that water had to go somewhere.
• That "somewhere" was Travis' and Abbey's basements.

From Travis: Wastewater from the city's sewers came pouring out of our toilet and bubbling up from our shower drain. My wife and I spent nearly eight hours with a shop-vac, a mop, a carpet cleaner, and a lot of wet wipes.

From Abbey: Thanks to what I can only assume are clogged drains outside my apartment, my basement is basically a wading pool. Walter CronCat was not a fan. Repairs are underway, thankfully!

KCMO residents can report sewer or stormwater issues through the myKCMO app or by calling 311.

• Were you affected by flooding due to the storm? Reply to this email and tell us about your experience.

Live music is popping up all over downtown KC thanks to sunny days and a wide variety of homegrown talent.

Why it matters: Summer music series give residents, workers and visitors even more to enjoy during lunch breaks and evening hours. And that's music to our ears.

Times and places:

• River Market Melodies, River Market Park, first Thursdays through October, 5-7:30pm
• Garment District Grooves, Garment District Place, third Wednesdays through October, 11:30am-1pm
• Summer in the City, Oppenstein Brothers Memorial Park, second Thursdays through September, 12-7pm

What's playing near where you live? Let us know.