kc tenants

More than half the renters living at a Raytown apartment complex recently ended a four-month rent strike against their landlord. Members of the Bowen Tower Apartments union share why the strike took place and what deal they managed to agree on.

Joe Mount and Tina McDonald are two leaders in the Bowen Tower Tenant Union, a union of renters in Raytown. After a months-long rent strike, they reached an agreement with their California-based landlord that includes lower rent and utility rates, plus commitments to fix longstanding maintenance issues.

Tenants at Bowen Tower Apartments began withholding rent last October. An agreement with the California-based landlord now includes lower rent and utility rates, and commitments to fix longstanding problems in the building.

The state, in cooperation with the American Lung Association, has added “smoke-free” to descriptions of rental properties in a statewide directory. Landlords and health advocates believe it will inspire people to seek out smoke-free environments and lower the state's disproportionately high tobacco-related illnesses and deaths.

The Bowen Tower Tenant Union began withholding rent at the beginning of October in response to repeated flooding, pest infestations and plumbing issues that tenants say go ignored by management.

The musician Waxahatchee and comedian Caleb Hearon, who are friends and Kansas City residents, call affordable housing the issue of our time. This week, they’re headlining a benefit show for KC Tenants at the Uptown Theater, and they joined KCUR’s Up To Date to discuss their careers on stage and their activism in the community.

Tenants at two apartment complexes in east Kansas City and another in Lee’s Summit unionized for better living conditions. Their landlord is a real estate company in New York, and a big player in federally subsidized affordable 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.

El impuesto a las ventas de seguridad pública de Kansas City se ha utilizado para apoyar al departamento de policía y los servicios médicos y de emergencia. El alcalde Quinton Lucas y otros funcionarios quieren que los votantes lo renueven para que la ciudad pueda usar el dinero para construir una nueva cárcel y un centro de rehabilitación.

Kansas City’s public safety sales tax has been used to support the police department and emergency and medical services. Mayor Quinton Lucas and other officials want voters to renew it so the city can use the money to build a new jail and rehabilitation center.

Kansas City banned landlords from rejecting tenants based solely on how they pay their rent, their credit score or previous evictions. A Missouri Republican representative, who's a landlord himself, wants to override the ban.

KC Tenants say they want Healthy Homes to enforce consequences for landlords who fail to address health code violations. Kansas City Health Department representatives say all documented issues at Quality Hill Towers were resolved, but tenants report little to no improvements.