Housing

Residents went on strike last October over deteriorating living conditions and longstanding maintenance problems. Under the deal with the new building owner, residents will get the opportunity to renew their leases and will not have to owe any back rent from the strike.

Residents of the 188-unit Aspen Place Apartments were given just 48 hours to move after the city of Gardner said the water infrastructure deteriorated so badly that it presented safety concerns. A new lawsuit alleges that the owner was aware for years about the issues but took no action to address them.

The Republican bill was prompted by legislation in Kansas City and other communities that banned landlords from denying leases to renters on the grounds that they receive housing assistance, such as Section 8 vouchers.

The 200-unit Aspen Place apartment complex has experienced water, sewage and road issues for years. Gardner city officials condemned the property, but hundreds of residents are now being displaced with nowhere to go.

The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development office in Kansas City is dealing with federal government cuts. How will vital community resources be impacted?

Since 2012, homelessness in Houston has decreased more than 60%. As Kansas City continues its own efforts, the woman who developed Houston's strategy will speak at the Kansas City Public Library next week.

A GOP-led bill takes aim at ordinances passed in several Missouri cities to protect tenants from discrimination based on the source of their income — especially tenants who use federal housing choice vouchers to pay rent. But portions of Kansas City would be exempted under the Senate version.

The State Tax Commission has sent another order to Jackson County, this time about the 2025 assessments. The county's fight over the tax commission’s previous order has cemented a feud between a majority of legislators and County Executive Frank White Jr.

The county announced today that it will cap assessment increases at 15% this year. It has been embroiled in a monthslong legal battle over an order to roll back its 2023 assessments, which shocked property owners with a major tax increase.

The law allows the city to fine landlords who are found to have retaliated against tenants for complaining to the city’s code enforcement department. The city has only received a few complaints so far, and hasn't escalated any or issued fines, but that may change as more residents find out about the ordinance.

After a judge order Jackson County to roll back recent property assessment increases that were greater than 15% — roughly three out of four properties — the county faces tough decisions for what to do next. Meanwhile, the housing market continues to drive up property values.

The Kansas City Council passed a $2.5 billion budget for the 2025-2026 fiscal year, its largest ever. The police department will get even more money than before, while council members will discuss a proposal next week to fully fund the Kansas City Area Transportation Authority in the short term.