kc tenants

A primary contest in April kicks off a 2023 election cycle that will add several new members to the Kansas City Council, the results of which could affect the direction of the city and Mayor Quinton Lucas’ agenda.

Chicago-based Mac Properties was seeking tax incentives from the Kansas City Area Transportation Authority for a $100 million apartment and retail project in Midtown with no units designated as "affordable." City Council rejected a similar request last year.

Protest is part of American history, and only more visible over the last decade thanks to social media. But protests over police violence and racism, including the Black Lives Matter movement, have not necessarily led to widespread improvements. So how effective is modern protesting, and what needs to happen to bring about change?

A fire knocked out the heat in a Northeast Kansas City apartment complex Friday, leaving residents in the cold indefinitely. The property owner, who serves on the board of a housing advocacy nonprofit, blames the issue on unhoused people breaking into the building. But the building has a history of code violations.

In 2022, hundreds of refugees made their way to Kansas City with hopes of finding help. This year also saw tenants in housing court receive much-needed assistance with their legal representation. We'll take a look at the biggest housing stories of 2022.

Under Kansas City's Tenants Bill of Rights, rental housing must have functional heating, sewage, hot water, plumbing and electrical fixtures, and any provided appliances must remain functional. The Healthy Homes program can compel a landlord to resolve any violations.

Critics say that the streamlined tax incentive process under Ordinance 220701 would prevent Kansas City residents from providing input on developments that could affect their children’s schools or their own cost of housing.

KC Tenants Power is the newly formed political arm of the nonprofit that seeks affordable housing for renters.

Since opening in June, more tenants are receiving legal representation, leading to better outcomes that avoid eviction and keep tenants in their homes.

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.

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.

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.