Stories by Celisa Calacal, The Beacon
NEWS & ISSUES
Vacant Lots, Absentee Owners, Little Accountability. What’s Going on With the Kansas City Land Bank?
The Kansas City Land Bank is supposed to revitalize neighborhoods. But a Beacon investigation found that the Land Bank has potential conflicts of interest between board members and buyers, and fails to hold buyers accountable to its own requirements. The result: Properties sit vacant for years.
by Multiple Reporters
October 22, 2021
ARTS & CULTURE
Federal Pandemic Program Became a ‘Godsend’ to Kansas City Venues
48 businesses in Kansas City received grants from the Shuttered Venue Operators Grant program.
by Celisa Calacal, The Beacon
October 12, 2021
NEWS & ISSUES
‘I’m Gonna Lose it All’: Tenants Left in the Dark as KC’s Rental Assistance Program Closes to New Applicants
Tenants who already applied for assistance are still waiting for help, and local nonprofits face challenges in processing applications quickly
by Celisa Calacal, The Beacon
July 20, 2021
NEWS & ISSUES
How One Kansas City Neighborhood Is Transforming Its Dangerous And Abandoned Buildings
In northeast Kansas City, the Lykins Neighborhood Association has used Missouri’s Abandoned Housing Act to reclaim dilapidated homes and turn them over for renovation.
by Celisa Calacal, The Beacon
June 29, 2021