Now that Kansas City’s hotel initiative to help the homeless has ended, the question becomes what’s next for people in need of permanent housing?Kansas City said that more than 50 of the hotel residents found employment. and for some, it now turns to affordable housing.A professor at the University of Missouri – Kansas City said he believes the answer is right in front of us.”There’s about 45,000 of those units throughout Kansas City, Missouri,” said Jacob Wagner, of Urban Planning and Design at the University of Missouri – Kansas City.He is talking about smaller apartment buildings, many vacant, offering as many as 2,200 new, possible affordable housing units in one area of the city.”Let’s look at how we can preserve what we already have,” Wagner said.Wagner’s group presented a study to the city this week. He said that many of these buildings face demolition, not renovation.”You’re making the problem worse every time you demolish another apartment building,” Wagner said.Wagner said that it can cost taxpayers about $15,000 for demolition. He said that is money that could go into repairing it. He said the first step is finding ways to help people finance the renovation.”You’ve got to come up with creative local ways,” Wagner said.He said that then it is on the city to make it work.”There’s ways for the city to have agreements with property owners to keep those units affordable,” Wagner said.Wagner said that with a desperate need for affordable housing, right now is the time to get some of older, vacant apartment buildings restored. “A temporary solution is exactly that. You’re putting someone in a hotel, trying to get them back established. They’re going to need somewhere to go after and they’re going to need an affordable housing unit,” Wagner said.He said that Missouri is in the top five of tax credits for individuals looking to renovate buildings. He said he has no idea why they continue to sit vacant.”Nobody wants to lose more housing units. We’ve reached a point where we just can’t demolish our way out of this problem,” Wagner said.Wagner’s presentation to the city focused on the Prospect Corridor on Kansas City’s east side. He said that tearing down and building new would be less cost-effective to the city and would limit the number of units that would be used as affordable housing.
KANSAS CITY, Mo. —
Now that Kansas City’s hotel initiative to help the homeless has ended, the question becomes what’s next for people in need of permanent housing?
Kansas City said that more than 50 of the hotel residents found employment. and for some, it now turns to affordable housing.
A professor at the University of Missouri – Kansas City said he believes the answer is right in front of us.
“There’s about 45,000 of those units throughout Kansas City, Missouri,” said Jacob Wagner, of Urban Planning and Design at the University of Missouri – Kansas City.
He is talking about smaller apartment buildings, many vacant, offering as many as 2,200 new, possible affordable housing units in one area of the city.
“Let’s look at how we can preserve what we already have,” Wagner said.
Wagner’s group presented a study to the city this week. He said that many of these buildings face demolition, not renovation.
“You’re making the problem worse every time you demolish another apartment building,” Wagner said.
Wagner said that it can cost taxpayers about $15,000 for demolition. He said that is money that could go into repairing it. He said the first step is finding ways to help people finance the renovation.
“You’ve got to come up with creative local ways,” Wagner said.
He said that then it is on the city to make it work.
“There’s ways for the city to have agreements with property owners to keep those units affordable,” Wagner said.
Wagner said that with a desperate need for affordable housing, right now is the time to get some of older, vacant apartment buildings restored.
“A temporary solution is exactly that. You’re putting someone in a hotel, trying to get them back established. They’re going to need somewhere to go after and they’re going to need an affordable housing unit,” Wagner said.
He said that Missouri is in the top five of tax credits for individuals looking to renovate buildings. He said he has no idea why they continue to sit vacant.
“Nobody wants to lose more housing units. We’ve reached a point where we just can’t demolish our way out of this problem,” Wagner said.
Wagner’s presentation to the city focused on the Prospect Corridor on Kansas City’s east side. He said that tearing down and building new would be less cost-effective to the city and would limit the number of units that would be used as affordable housing.
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