affordable housing

After Lenexa shot down Johnson County's plan to build a low-barrier homeless resources center, commissioners voted to use those federal funds instead on several other housing initiatives — including a Habitat for Humanity project and support for a cold weather shelter.

Law enforcement officials say arresting homeless people for minor crimes like trespassing and vandalism will not help reduce homelessness. Experts say it will cost a lot of tax dollars and actually makes homelessness worse.

The nonprofit Community Housing of Wyandotte County has plans to build a 24-unit complex in Rosedale, with rents lower than the area has seen in years. But development got stalled after some neighbors raised concerns about parking and traffic problems.

Demand for homes in Kansas is high, but construction of new homes has been slow for more than a decade. Kansas saw a significant drop in home construction after the Great Recession, contributing to a housing shortage today that drives up prices.

Many of the people in Kansas who are homeless do have an income, but housing is simply too expensive to afford a place to live. Plus: Missouri law doesn't clearly IVF, so what's the risk of the procedure being outlawed?

This is the second effort from Platte County to lower property tax rates for its residents. Commissioners plan to use excess sales tax money to fund major programs.

Advocates say homelessness in Kansas is mainly caused by a lack of affordable housing, not issues like mental health. Efforts to increase housing stock have built thousands of new units, but it’s not enough, and some communities oppose new developments.

The group leading the effort to recall Mayor Eric Mikkelson opposed the city's efforts to increase affordable housing options. On Monday, the group said they failed to get the required number of signatures to force a recall vote.

About one-third of the city’s 352 single-family public housing units were still occupied as of last December. The city is offering housing vouchers to the tenants who have to move.

Jenny Schuetz, a senior fellow at Brookings Metro, says that changes to zoning laws and more action at the state and federal level could help address Kansas City's housing problems. Schuetz will speak at the Kansas City Public Library this coming Wednesday.

The influx of soccer fans to Kansas City is expected to hike prices for short-term rentals, possibly pushing up rents and making permanent housing less affordable. But if Kansas City officials use the opportunity to invest in affordable housing, experts see a chance for long-term benefits.

A bill in the Kansas Legislature would have provided millions of dollars to build homeless shelters across the state — except lawmakers let it die in committee. Plus: Could manufactured housing like mobile homes help solve the affordability crisis?