Housing
Flatland covers stories about affordable housing, evictions and tenant rights in the Kansas City metro and surrounding area.
East Crossroads Project Will Likely Include Over 300 Apartments
By Kevin Collison A development in the works for a two-block site in the East Crossroads will likely include more than 300 apartments and significant commercial space, according to an attorney for the developer, Indianapolis-based Milhaus. Attorney Chris Kline told the Planned Industrial Expansion Authority Thursday that details are still being prepared by Milhaus but…
Signs Point to Softening Downtown Apartment Market
By Kevin Collison A several point drop in apartment occupancy rates indicate the downtown market may be cooling after the torrid pace of the past couple years, according to two real estate professionals well-versed in the area. John Bennett Jr. of KCLoftCentral said his suspicion the market was softening was reinforced when he noticed that…
The Faces of Eviction
In January, together with the Kansas City Public Library, we hosted a live public town hall to talk about evictions, gentrification and affordable housing in the metro. The standing room only-crowd heard from and asked questions of the six panelists, Tara Raghuveer, eviction researcher; Terrence Wise, community member; Jacob Wagner, co-founder of Center for Neighborhoods…
Historic Downtown Skyscraper for Sale, Missouri’s Tallest Residential Tower
By Kevin Collison The 909 Walnut building, the iconic, bunny-eared skyscraper that jumpstarted the 21st Century revival of the downtown housing market, is up for sale, asking price $49 million. The 35-story historic tower and Ninth and Walnut, the tallest residential building in the Midwest outside Chicago, was among the ranks of empty former office…
Five Things You Can Do To Protect Your Rights As A Tenant
Flatland sat down with Gina Chiala, executive director and attorney for the Heartland Center for Jobs and Freedom, to see what advice she offers to rental tenants in Kansas City as part of Public Works? A Level Foundation, our in-depth series on eviction, gentrification, and affordable housing in the metro. This is the transcript for…
New Report Finds Younger Adults and Singles Dominate Downtown Living
Downtown Kansas City residents are younger, more likely to be single and living by more ethnically diverse neighbors than the rest of the city and metro, according to a new study by the Downtown Council. The new State of Downtown report found the population of Greater Downtown is expected to jump from 21,000 in 2010…
The Cost of Churn: Evictions Hinder Classroom Progress for Kids
Tameko Davison’s children were well into the routine of a school year when turmoil intervened in the form of an eviction notice. Davison fell behind on payments, and the gas was shut off to her government-subsidized apartment in Kansas City. That violated a Kansas City Housing Authority rule and caused her to lose her rent…
Vote! What Would You Like Us to Cover in Our Reporting?
As we dig into housing issues in our months-long Public Works? A Level Foundation reporting initiative, we want you to share your questions with us and weigh in on what you think we should tackle. Below is our first voting round with three questions from curious Kansas Citians. Tricia Bushnell asked what percentage new developments…
City Warns of Looming Affordable Housing Crunch Downtown
By Kevin Collison If you think it’s tough to find an affordable apartment in downtown Kansas City these days, just wait five years. City officials project there will be 41 percent fewer affordable apartments downtown, dropping from the current 2,759 units to 1,140 units, as affordable housing tax credits expire on projects developed before 2008….
Test Apartment in River Market
100 units / $600 to $1,000 / Studio to 2 BR / Indoor pool.