housing market

The legislation takes aim at ordinances passed in Kansas City and other Missouri cities that protect tenants from discrimination based on the source of their income — especially tenants who use federal housing choice vouchers to pay rent.

November's vote is the culmination of a years-long debate in Prairie Village, which began as a fight over zoning and housing and wound up in a legal battle over city governance. But even if voters agree to "abandon" the current structure, there's no plan for replacing it with a different model.

Rising housing costs have put property taxes are calculated under the microscope, with lawmakers looking to provide relief to taxpayers without bankrupting local governments. A property tax cap included in the governor’s stadium funding plan may not be constitutional.

Corporate landlords have become more common since the Great Recession. Housing advocates say that hurts tenants.

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 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.

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.

Critics of the affordable housing tax credit argue it is costing Kansas too much money. But supporters say it's helping construct new homes amid a housing shortage that’s driving up the costs of homes and contributing to homelessness.

Kansas City’s new streetcar has spurred the construction of more than 1,400 new apartment units along Main Street since 2017. These are some of the highlights, including historic renovations and new buildings.

Black homeownership is a path to generational wealth, but many Black families in Kansas City have been prevented from buying homes due to decades-old racist lending practices. Habitat for Humanity Kansas City is helping more Black families buy homes.

The Republican bill was filed in response to a Kansas City ordinance passed last year that bans landlords refusing to lease to prospective tenants solely based on them receiving federal housing assistance.

As the cost to buy a home continues to rise in the Midwest, real estate experts say the regional rental market offers affordable housing options and biding your time before buying may be the smart move in 2025.