The Kansas City Land Bank board of directors will vote to approve a replacement for interim chair Julie Anderson this week.
Celisa
Posted inEconomics, Local Government
In Overland Park mayor’s race, tax breaks for developers take center stage
As Johnson County’s largest city experiences a boom, the use of tax incentives for development projects has become a central issue in the Overland Park mayoral race.
Posted inEconomics, Housing
Local housing group and mayor share differing visions on a housing trust fund for Kansas City
In 2018, the Kansas City Council approved a Five-Year Housing Plan that included the creation of a $75 million housing trust fund.
Posted inEconomics, Local Government
Vacant lots, absentee owners, little accountability. What’s going on with the Kansas City Land Bank?
The Beacon found the Kansas City Land Bank has potential conflicts of interest between board members and buyers, and fails to hold buyers accountable to its own requirements.
Posted inEconomics
In Kansas City, asphalt art is paving the way for safer streets
Kansas City is one of 26 cities in the United States that recently received an Asphalt Art Initiative Grant of up to $25,000 from Bloomberg Philanthropies to create asphalt art installations to improve safety for pedestrians and cyclists.
Posted inEconomics
The federal pandemic program that became a ‘godsend’ to Kansas City venues
The SVOG, which stopped accepting applications in August, had $16 billion available to distribute. The maximum grant amount allowed was $10 million.
Posted inEconomics, Housing
‘They need to make changes now’: Local housing advocates demand improvements to KC’s rental assistance program
The demands include improving the emergency rental assistance application, preventing landlords from evicting a tenant who has applied for assistance and using rental assistance to pay off an eviction judgement.
Posted inCivic Engagement
Formerly incarcerated people can still vote in Missouri. This KC group shows them how.
Recently, the Kansas City Council passed a resolution recognizing the work of MORE2 to engage and register people in Kansas City with misdemeanor or felony convictions. Kansas City is the first municipality in Missouri to pass such a resolution.
Posted inEconomics
‘We can’t represent everyone we want’: In eviction court, most tenants fight their cases without a lawyer
National research estimates that about 90% of landlords have legal representation in eviction cases, whereas 90% of tenants do not.
Posted inEconomics
‘I’m praying they tear this down’: Dangerous properties owned by KCMO’s Land Bank draw frustration
Three properties are currently classified as dangerous buildings by the city, and they are not listed in the Land Bank’s inventory as available for sale.