Kansas City: Housing Trust Fund Board (July 27, 2026)

By Connye Griffin, Kansas City Documenter

See more about this meeting at Documenters.org

Summary

• The Housing Trust Fund (HTF) board considered requests for additional funding from developers representing Belleview Townhomes and Mohawk at 15th. The board deferred decisions about both until the August meeting.
• The board also received an update about the Teachers Like Me project.
• Board members clarified their roles when communicating with citizens about pending ballot issues and the HTF in general. (Days after this meeting, voters approved a measure to let the city borrow $100 million in general obligation bonds to replenish the fund.) 

Modifications

• Belleview Townhomes, 2909 Belleview Ave.
  • Mary Owens, deputy director of housing and community development, helped Pedro Zamora, executive director of the Hispanic Economic Development Corp. (HEDC), in its request to modify the dollar amount and terms for the nine-unit, single-family townhome affordable-housing project. The developers are asking that the original $652,000 in funding be converted to a loan and increased by $218,000, or roughly 33%, to $870,000. They also want to reduce the number of affordable units in the project from three to two.
  • Belleview Townhomes has been delayed for several reasons, including:
    • Unexpected legal matters
    • Environmental review and its impact on funding
    • Construction and lending costs have increased.
• The request by HEDC and its lender to convert the construction grant into a loan is of a type the board has never been asked to consider.
• Board members delayed a decision so they could determine if the request is allowed under the city’s modifications ordinance.
• Board members expressed concerns about costs per unit — roughly double the original projection — resulting from cost increases and a strained budget. Zamora said there was no return on investment for the HEDC.
• Owens said the city had been negotiating with the HEDC to bring the project to completion. The HEDC broke ground in 2024 and reports the project is 91% complete.
• Board member Geoff Jolley said that because the city had already invested in the project, the board should investigate how to help with capital so it can be completed. With the project’s cost having increased significantly, a loan could allow the city to increase support beyond grant limits.
• Asked about the HEDC’s contributions to solutions, Zamora offered two points:
  • Converting city funding to a loan instead of grants not requiring repayment demonstrates the HEDC’s willingness to shoulder responsibility and its commitment to the project’s success.
  • Absorbing costs through delays in fund receipts was a contribution by the HEDC.
• Mohawk at 15th, 1531 Holmes St.
  • Michael Collins and Matthew Ledbetter representing Grayson Capital reviewed the Mohawk project and requested $1.35 million in additional funding for its infrastructure. The approximately $49.7 million project will have 189 units on a transit route, and 38 units, or about 20%, will be defined as affordable and will cost more than originally reported, necessitating modification. Line items for the additional funds are:
    • Tenant improvement buildout ($330,000).
    • Rooftop tenant amenity space ($850,000).
    • Parking lot design ($65,000).
    • Electric vehicle charging infrastructure ($100,000).
  • The developers attested to their own “skin in the game” by saying they had secured additional funding from their investors. Therefore, the request is for half the additional funds needed.
  • Chair Katherine Nace praised the project, but expressed concern that the modification request is greater than the original $925,000 awarded by the trust fund. Nace asked whether investors could increase their contributions. Ledbetter said that solution was unlikely.
  • Board member Chase Johnson left the meeting early. Jolley is an investor in the project, so he recused himself. As a result, the board lacked a quorum and will take up the Mohawk modification request in August.

Project Updates

• Teachers Like Me
  • This four-unit, stacked duplex housing project will provide affordable housing for teachers. The project is 63% complete and is on track for completion in mid-September.
  • The board documentation did not include a specific address, but according to the Teachers Like Me website, the first series of developments are between the 4100 and 4200 blocks of Tracy and Virginia avenues.

Additional Discussion

• Board member Christina Fenwick asked whether members were permitted to advocate for new resources for affordable housing in Kansas City. Joseph A. Guarino, senior associate city attorney for the city, said that city staff were prohibited from campaigning or advocating but that board members and City Council members could educate. They may also express their personal opinions but should make it known that the opinions are their own.
  • Jolley reminded the board that the city’s web page devoted to the HTF is a good resource to share with citizens.
• Nace asked Nichol Washington, administrative officer and program manager, to set a date for the board’s retreat, typically scheduled for late October. Jolley suggested two topics for discussion at the retreat:
  • A review of the HTF’s process, including its transparency and priorities, such as affordable housing and other funding resources available to developers, especially those with small projects.
  • A consideration of incentives for development and the balance between big and small or infill projects.
• Fenwick and Jolley asked city staff to send an email about council actions related to the HTF before the regular HTF meeting so they can take them into account and be better prepared when speaking to the public and council members. Nace volunteered to take responsibility for communicating this information to the board.

Observations & Follow-Up Questions

• What policies and processes will need review in order to meet modification requests?
• How will the HEDC and Mohawk satisfy cost increases to complete the housing projects?

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