Kansas City passed an ordinance that makes it illegal to discriminate against people with criminal backgrounds in employment, housing, and business.
The measure passed the City Council with a 9-3 vote, making Kansas City only the second major U.S. city after Atlanta to designate formerly incarcerated individuals as a protected class.
The ordinance adds people with criminal histories to Kansas City’s existing protected classes, which include race, religion, and sexual orientation. It prohibits discrimination in hiring, housing, and public accommodations, though it maintains exceptions for cases where federal or state law requires background checks.
“Once you’re held accountable for your actions and you paid your debt to society, your sentence should not be a lifetime of shame, shunning, and severe debilitation,” said Councilwoman Melissa Robinson, who sponsored the measure.
The measure builds on Kansas City’s previous efforts to reduce barriers for formerly incarcerated people. In 2018, the city passed a “ban the box” initiative prohibiting employers and landlords from asking about criminal history on initial applications.
The ordinance locally addresses a widespread national challenge. The Marshall Project reports that between 70 and 100 million Americans have criminal records, with employment restrictions making up 72% of all barriers people face after release from prison. These barriers persist despite more than half of U.S. states passing “ban the box” legislation to remove criminal history questions from initial job applications.
Rev. Thomas James, lead organizer for transformational justice at the Metro Organization for Racial and Economic Equity (MORE2), which pushed for the ordinance, explained the need for stronger protections.
“We had so much experience with people being denied basic accommodations, housing, employment, strictly based on their criminal history,” James told the Kansas News Service.
The ordinance requires employers and landlords to evaluate applicants based on factors other than criminal records, including the recency and severity of convictions, rehabilitation efforts, and evidence of good conduct since the offense.
Landlords must consider personal references, actions taken to resolve past issues, and the applicant’s age at the time of the offense when evaluating housing applications. The ordinance prohibits blanket rejections based solely on criminal history.
Three council members opposed the measure: Kevin O’Neill, Nathan Willett, and Wes Rogers. They argued the ordinance’s language was too vague and worried about unintended consequences, particularly for small businesses.
“One in three adults in the United States has some sort of criminal record,” said James. “So surely we don’t want to bar one-third of our country from participating in what we call the American Dream.”
The ordinance includes important safeguards. Employers can still deny employment when the law requires or when a criminal record directly relates to job responsibilities. For example, convicted child abusers can’t claim discrimination if denied work at childcare facilities.
Housing providers maintain the right to deny applicants with certain criminal convictions when required by law or protective orders. The ordinance also allows consideration of evictions or property damage that occurred within the past year.
The stakes are high for successful reintegration. According to the Missouri Department of Corrections, 69% of convicted felons return to prison if they don’t find employment within two years. That rate drops to 23% for those who secure full-time work.
The ordinance requires anyone denying an application to inform the applicant of the denial. If asked, they must affirm in writing that the denial was not based on protected class status and inform the applicant of their rights under the ordinance.
The city’s civil rights and equal opportunity department will oversee implementation, investigate complaints, and enforce the ordinance’s provisions.
The ordinance takes effect immediately. It positions Kansas City among a growing number of jurisdictions working to reduce barriers for people with criminal records. Similar legislation is under consideration in Nevada, Oregon, and Arizona, while a bipartisan congressional task force is exploring federal options.
