The cockroach infestation in Khatib Williams’ kitchen was the first of many red flags signaling he needed to get out of his place owned by Citadel Apartments, near 61st Street and The Paseo. Williams wanted out, but his complex automatically renewed his lease after six months, due to a stipulation in his lease. When Williams withheld rent while trying to figure out what to do, the landlord served him an eviction notice — the building is one of the top evictors in Kansas City. Even though he had wanted to leave that apartment, Williams knew an eviction would damage his rental record, making it harder to find a new place to live. He reached out to the Heartland Center for Jobs and Freedom for help. With representation from a lawyer, instead of being evicted, Williams won a settlement. A new city program called Right to Counsel is hoping to make Williams’ experience in court more of the norm in Kansas City, granting free legal representation to any tenant facing eviction. And with his...