Missouriar - Kansas: .2 million for Affordable Housing Projects

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NEWS RELEASE

For immediate release: February 2, 2023

Kansas City Council approved the second round of the Housing Trust Fund Advisory Board's recommendations to allocate $11.2 million to 12 applicants supporting 542 affordable housing units. This decision will continue the City's efforts to increase affordable housing across Kansas City.

"Since becoming mayor, I have been proud to commit $75 million to Kansas City's Housing Trust Fund, which already has created hundreds of affordable housing units—ensuring stable and dignified housing available to Kansas Citians in all zip codes," said Mayor Quinton Lucas. "Today, we moved forward with an additional 542 affordable units, which brings our total number of homes created and preserved through Kansas City's Housing Trust Fund to more than 1,000. As someone who grew up knowing homelessness, I know how important our work is. As we celebrate things like a Super Bowl, a new terminal, and an expanded streetcar line, I will keep focusing on housing until no child and no family in our community is without a safe and affordable place to live."

Since the Affordable Housing Trust Fund's creation in 2018, $75 million dollars has been dedicated to improving the lives of Kansas Citians struggling with the cost of housing, facing housing insecurity, or homelessness. This includes the $50 million that was overwhelmingly approved by Kansas Citians in November's ballot initiative.

"Thank you to the voters who have recognized our current housing crisis and committed to help solve our need to build and preserve affordable options by financing a $50,000.00 GO Bond. Our theory of change for the Third District is economic mobility for residents and economic development for our spaces and places. These recommendations are key and critical to achieve our urgent vision for meaningful change," said Councilwoman Melissa Robinson.

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City Council established the Housing Trust Fund in 2018 to promote, preserve and create long-term affordable housing. It is a central piece in the city's efforts to address the shortage of affordable housing. During its first publicly available funding round, the Housing Trust Fund awarded $7.9 million to 14 applicants, with 456 affordable units being created or preserved across those projects.

Below is the latest round of Housing Trust Fund awardees:

Applicant	Project	Funding
Allenwood Properties, LLC	Allenwood Properties	$ 225,360
Amethyst Place	Amethyst Place Expansion at 2770 Tracy	$ 500,000
Community LINC Housing	Scaling Attainable Homes - Phase 1	$ 1,213,430
Hispanic Economic Development Corporation	29th Belleview Townhomes	$ 360,000
Jerusalem Farm	Northeast Community Land Trust	$ 225,000
Lykins Neighborhood Trust	Lykins Neighborhood Trust Multifamily Acquisition	$ 300,000
Oak Park Neighborhood Association	Oak Park Townhomes	$ 300,000
Our Spot KC	Lion House	$ 638,370
Overland Property Group	Bridgeport Apartments	$ 2,000,000
St. Michael's Veterans Center Inc.	St. Michael's Housing Phase III	$ 1,500,000
UNI Crescendo, LLC	Crescendo	$ 2,000,000
Vecino Group, LLC	Bodhi Kansas City	$ 2,000,000

"The twelve awards recommended by our Affordable Housing Trust Fund Board to Council today will continue Kansas City's transformative march toward providing affordable housing for our residents," said Jane Pansing Brown, Housing Director.

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These allocations will support many catalytic projects, including:

Housing with wraparound services for veterans (55 homes), for women in recovery from substance use (37 homes), and for people experiencing homelessness and mental illness (47 homes)
A new navigation center and cottage community (38 homes) to specifically support LGBTQ+ individuals in finding stable housing.
Preventing displacement of 232 low-income households through the preservation and rehabilitation of an affordable housing community in Southeast Kansas City, originally built in 1987.

The Housing Trust Fund solicited applicants city-wide for awards. Recipients were reviewed and selected by a board based on need and if the projects addressed the preservation or creation of affordable housing or transitional and supportive housing along with the creation of housing and homebuyer assistance.

Recipients of Housing Trust Fund dollars are required to start projects within 12 months of their contract, or those funds must be returned to the City to be used in future Housing Trust Fund allocations.

The Affordable Housing Trust Fund continues the City's efforts to make housing more affordable and sustainable for all Kansas Citians.

Since the City's Right to Counsel program launched on June 1, 2022, hundreds of tenants and families facing eviction are being helped with legal and rental assistance.
Distributing $20.6 million in emergency rental assistance funds to nearly 4,400 households in Kansas City.
Using community input to develop a "Vision for Housing" that outlines the plan to create 10,000 new affordable housing units by 2027.
Working to convert nearly 3,000 vacant lots and homes owned by the City's Land Bank into affordable housing.
Creating the City's first homelessness prevention coordinator creating the City's first tenant advocate positions.
Converting a former hotel into permanent supportive housing and emergency transitional housing for those experiencing homelessness.
In September, the City Council approved changing City code to allow for the rental and use of accessory dwelling units. Previously, property or homeowners could not legally rent or live in detached dwellings unless it was an already existing carriage home. Now residents can use the space for family and friends or rent the space out to a tenant which creates a new option for affordable housing citywide.

Filed Under: Government, City

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