This KC-area city wants to pay you to party with your neighbors. Here’s how, why

Even years after the COVID-19 pandemic, leaders in at least one city in the KC metro worry that residents seem to still be staying away from each other.

Their idea to help people get out of their homes and get to know their neighbors better? Giving them money to throw a party.

North Kansas City’s Block Party Grant can pay residents up to $400 to cover the costs of a neighborhood block party.

“I want to shout from the rooftop so people are using this, meeting their neighbors and building a community,” said Mayor Jesse Smith.

When Smith was campaigning, he said he encountered residents who had lived in their neighborhood for years but did not know any of their neighbors. And at a recent Northtown town hall meeting a Star reporter attended, multiple attendees admitted to the group that they do not know their neighbors either.

Smith and the city are hoping these block parties will make it easier for residents to get to know each other and engage more with the broader North Kansas City community.

If emergency responders are available, the city is encouraging them to attend the block parties to get to know more residents as well.

Once an application has been approved by the city, residents can be reimbursed for expenses like food, paper goods and entertainment. City funds cannot be used for alcohol, tent rentals, stages or risers.

It can take the city up to three weeks to approve a permit after receiving an application. The host will be required to submit a form and itemized receipts to be reimbursed.

Last year, the city had at least four block parties. The grants are funded through the city’s general fund. The annual budget for the events is $2,000.

This story was originally published June 6, 2025 at 6:00 AM.