August 2020Mars Smith, 22, outside her apartment. Her landlord is constantly threatening eviction while neglecting to do essential repairs to her place. Mars gets government aid for housing after being kicked out of her house.

August 2020The sink in Mars Smith’s kitchen has been without a faucet for over a month. Her landlord is threatening eviction claiming Mars tampered with the sink. Mars says she’s being threatened with eviction because the landlord dislikes her personally.

August 2020Mars’ apartment doesn’t have working AC so she uses a box fan in the window.

August 2020Mars Smith shows a damaged door off its hinges; one of the many items her landlord neglects to fix and instead places the blame on Mars, an attempt to leverage an eviction threat over Mars.

December 2019Members of KC Tenants anxiously await the city council docket where their Tenant’s Bill of Rights will be voted on.

December 2019Landlords (bottom of frame) chat amongst themselves before the city council votes on whether or not to adopt a Tenants Bill of Rights.

December 2019Tiana Caldwell prays as Kansas City city council prepares to vote on the Tenant’s Bill of Rights.

December 2019A KC Tenants member holds up a sign for city council members.

December 2019Victory tears, shouts, and dancing as city council approved the Tenant’s Bill of Rights and office of tenant advocacy.

December 2019A landlord (far right) films members of KC Tenants as they celebrate and shed tears of joy.

KANSAS CITY, MO - AUGUST 18: Krisi Eiland, outside of the Days Inn in Kansas City, Missouri, where she has been living since her eviction last week. Krisi is a mother of three and owns a large Mastiff dog. She was evicted because she’s unable to pay rent, Krisi lost her job due to Covid-19 and took a job that paid less.

KANSAS CITY, MO - AUGUST 18: Krisi Eiland walks to her room at the Days Inn where she’s been staying since her eviction last week. Krisi is a mother of three and owns a large dog. She was evicted because she’s been unable to pay rent. Krisi lost her job due to Covid-19 and took a job that paid less.

KANSAS CITY, MO - AUGUST 18: Krisi Eiland’s room at the Days Inn she’s been staying at since her eviction last week. She hung up Christmas lights to make it feel more like her own. Krisi is a mother of three and owns a large dog. She was evicted because she’s been unable to pay rent after she lost her job due to Covid-19 and took a job that paid less.

KANSAS CITY, MO - AUGUST 18: Some of Krisi Eiland’s belongings sit packed in bags in the corner of her room at the Days Inn after her eviction last week. She had to leave behind many of her belongings that didn’t fit into storage, including large appliances. Krisi is a mother of three and owns a large dog. She was evicted because she’s been unable to pay rent after she lost her job due to Covid-19 and took a job that paid less.

May 2020Courtney Biber and her son Carson asking Missouri Governor Mike Parson to cancel rent on behalf of her family and 34,169 other Missouri renters. Each protester is representing 34,169 other Missouri tenants struggling to pay rent during the pandemic.

May 2020Cancel Rent protesters march from the Missouri State Capitol to the Governor’s Mansion to place an eviction notice on the front gates.

May 2020Courtney Biber and her son Carson before the KC Tenants Cancel Rent protest at the Missouri State Capitol in Jefferson City, Missouri.Courtney is from Springfield, Missouri, and is a birth doula who can’t work because of the pandemic. To make May rent, they’ve cut back on groceries, subscription services, and they’ve shut off their internet.

July 2020Jenay Manley is removed from the courtroom after disrupting an eviction hearing at the Jackson County Courthouse in Kansas City, Missouri, U.S., on Thursday, July 30, 2020. KC Tenants activist also flooded the virtual court hearings with calls, according to KC Tenants’ the virtual eviction hearings were shut down as a result.

July 2020Maya Neal is removed from the courtroom after disrupting an eviction hearing at the Jackson County Courthouse in Kansas City, Missouri, U.S., on Thursday, July 30, 2020. Photographer: Castor Chase/Bloomberg

July 2020KC Tenants demonstrators hold signs and shout chants during a rally to end evictions in front of the Jackson County Courthouse in Kansas City, Kansas, U.S., on Thursday, July 30, 2020.