Housing

Parade Park was a symbol of pride for Black families in Kansas City who finally got their chance at home ownership — but the neighborhood may not survive redevelopment. Plus, staff shortages are forcing Missouri school districts to consider four-day weeks.

Research shows that students who are worried about having a safe place to stay ihave lower grade point averages than their peers and higher rates of anxiety and depression. But housing options are rare at urban community colleges — and not offered at other systems in the Kansas City area.

As Kansas City’s first Black-owned housing co-op, Parade Park helped residents pursue the American Dream of owning a home and building a community. But after 60 years, it’s uncertain if it can survive foreclosure and redevelopment.

After the Federal Reserve started hiking interest rates, pending sales for new homes in Kansas City dropped by over 30%. But the market hasn’t gotten easier for prospective buyers, with home prices still at record highs.

Midtown will soon be home to one of two streetcar extensions, adding to demand for development. But the residents who could benefit most from accessible public transit are the same ones most likely to be priced out of the area.

Since Kansas City's right-to-counsel program took effect on June 1, a group of attorneys collectively have taken on 139 new cases of tenants facing eviction. Kansas City sees an average of 9,000 evictions every year.

Kansas City's Parade Park, one of the country's oldest Black housing cooperatives, has been deteriorating for years. Now it's running out of time before it faces foreclosure. Plus: How one broker is trying to increase Black homeownership in Kansas City's urban core.

The historic but crumbling Kansas City housing cooperative, designed in the 1960s for Black families, faces a July 7 deadline to propose repairs. Without a plan, the Department of Housing and Urban Development could pull back on a $10 million loan it guaranteed.

Gov. Mike Parson is set to sign legislation requiring the removal of language restricting home ownership by race, national origin or language from older housing deeds.

Kansas City's homeless shelters and cooling centers do not accept pets, but owners say they don't want to have to choose between keeping their animals and getting relief in extreme weather.

If Gov. Mike Parson signs the bill, Missouri would join handful of states that have recently enacted laws to remove racially restrictive covenants from property records.

Tenants facing eviction in Kansas City, Missouri, now have free access to an attorney, regardless of income. Plus, a familiar name in Kansas will appear in the Republican primary for attorney general this August.