Below is research, news, and other resources of interest to those who are involved in affordable housing.

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Investors are buying cheaper homes at a record rate

High mortgage rates have pushed investors to buy more low-cost homes than ever before, according to a new analysis by real estate firm Redfin Corp. Read more on the Kansas [...]

New Year, New Kansas City Housing Data

Created to be a community resource that empowers data-driven decision-making and planning across the Kansas City region, the Housing Data Hub pulls from multiple data sources to provide users with [...]

Work underway on creating regional housing fund

The RHP is partnering with Folks Capital and their team, including KCCLT, on a regional housing fund concept. Consultants have been in discussions with local governments and foundations gathering initial [...]

Kansas City Regional Housing Partnership: Developer Assessment and Recommendations

Approximately 100 community development organizations; multifamily, single-family, nonprofit and for-profit developers; housing authorities; and other community partners from across the region participated in a needs assessment on challenges to affordable [...]

Inflation Reduction Act: How affordable housing providers and community-based organizations can prepare

The Inflation Reduction Act (IRA), passed in 2022, represents the largest federal clean energy investment in history. IRA provides billions of dollars in funding through direct spending and tax credits that can be used to preserve and retrofit affordable housing, reduce energy costs, and increase community resilience. It will provide $369 billion for investments in climate resilience, energy security programs, and efficiency improvements and a total of $25 billion that is directly targeted to, or can be leveraged, for affordable housing.

3D printed homes offer approach to tackle affordable housing crisis

All across the U.S., states are experiencing a crisis-level shortage of affordable housing. The National Low Income Housing Coalition reports that nationally, there is a need for more than 7 million affordable housing units, while between 4.3 million and 5 million new homes are needed, according to Zillow and Realtor.com, respectively. Experiments occurring across the country on 3D printed homes offer an intriguing approach to help address the issue.

Homebuyer education event highlights the importance of HUD-certified housing counseling services

Working to increase homeownership opportunities among people of color, CHES, Inc., a nonprofit financial empowerment organization, the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), area real estate professionals, brokers, financial institutions and developers joined forces in September to promote the benefits of homebuyer education services provided by HUD-certified housing counselors.

Housing Data Hub: New research reveals increasing housing and transportation costs

New research from the Regional Housing Partnership explores why the Kansas City region may be losing its long-touted housing affordability advantage and how the mismatch between where jobs and affordable housing are located is creating significant challenges for region’s low- and moderate-income households.

Local, cross-sector collaboration recognized for strategy to address housing shortage through health equity lens

This year’s Kansas Housing Conference highlighted Johnson County’s success launching a multiyear, multipronged initiative that identified safe, attainable housing as the foundation for healthy communities.

MARC seeks public input on PRO Housing funding application

The Mid-America Regional Council (MARC) has prepared an application to submit to the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) Pathways to Removing Obstacles to Housing (PRO Housing) grant program (FR-6700-N-98).

LISC Greater Kansas City Community Wise Podcast: The Home Buying Dilemma

In June’s Community Wise Podcast, LISC discusses the different generational approaches to home ownership. Millennials — who are roughly ages 27 to 42 — are in their prime homebuying years and now make up nearly 50% of homebuyers, the most of any generation.

Data Hub Collects Info to Explore Housing in Kansas City

Affordable housing is in short supply all over the country, and the Kansas City area is no exception. As stakeholders work to find remedies, Regional Housing Partnership (RHP), convened and coordinated by the Mid-America Regional Council (MARC) and LISC Greater Kansas City is equipping  them with information to help with the task.

KCHousingLocator.com partner toolkit now available

A toolkit of social media graphics, rack cards, fact sheets and talking points is now available for communities, organizations and property owners who would like to promote the KCHousingLocator.com service to their residents and constituents.

Millennials Look at Housing, Expenses Differently Than Previous Generations

The millennial generation, defined as individuals born between 1981 and 1996, face a different set of life challenges than their peers in the baby boom or GenX demographic groups.

Affordable housing gap even wider for some households

Data show that the Kansas City region faces an affordable housing gap of almost 64,000 units for low-income renters. MARC’s housing program explores who this reality most acutely impacts, including people of color, households with young children, households with aging adults and people with disabilities.

LISC Greater Kansas City Advocates for Affordable Housing in Many Ways

A large part of the mission of LISC Greater Kansas City is related to creating and supporting affordable housing initiatives.

Assessing the affordable housing gap

A lack of nearly 64,000 affordable rental units in the Kansas City region leaves low-income households with limited options.

The history of racial discrimination in housing still impacts the Kansas City region today

The relationship between race and housing in the United States has a long past and a lasting impact. Understanding this relationship in the Kansas City region is critical for comprehending the housing patterns we have today and planning a more equitable tomorrow.

NLIHC The Home Front Podcast

The Home Front is a podcast that focuses on housing policy priorities, advocacy by the National Low Income Housing Coalition and partners.

Market conditions challenge housing affordability, but relief may be coming

Rental and single-family housing costs and supply show early indications of a changing direction. Is this a blip or will a trend towards a more affordable market emerge?

KC Region at risk of losing its most affordable housing

The Low-Income Housing Tax Credit program (LIHTC) has been the federal government’s primary policy tool for the development of affordable rental housing since the late 1980s. This program is a huge contributor to the stock of affordable rental units in the Kansas City region and nationwide.

Two studies, one region’s workforce housing challenges

Two studies examine workforce housing challenges in the Kansas City region. Both identify the need to increase the supply of affordable, quality housing options all residents.

NALHFA Affordable Housing Podcast

Join The National Association of Local Housing Finance Agencies (NALHFA) as they dig into various topics around affordable housing and share emerging best practices across the country.

Mayor, city leaders announce new initiatives to provide affordable housing to homeless Kansas Citians

Two new affordable housing initiatives will be part of the city’s efforts to support Kansas Citians experiencing homelessness, as announced today.

KC approves apartments at former Faultless Linen site in Crossroads

Kansas City planning staff on Tuesday gave Lux Living administrative approval for its $50 million Edison development plan, entailing a new five-story, 228-apartment building.

In east Kansas City, effort underway to fix up duplexes for affordable housing

Community Builders of Kansas City is set to begin a $12.6 million project to fix up 80 housing units on the city’s East Side to provide affordable housing.

‘Barndominium’ sales build big growth for Worldwide Steel Buildings

“Barndominiums” have become a hot seller for Worldwide Steel Buildings, helping the Peculiar-based manufacturer build even more growth. Last year, revenue climbed to $24.3 million, a 47% increase from 2019.

Nonprofit HALO plans multiphase village for homeless youth in southeast KC

A local nonprofit with an international footprint is designing and preparing to build its first project in Kansas City, expanding its footprint to address a particularly vulnerable subsection of the area’s homeless population […]

‘This Is Unprecedented’: Why America’s Housing Market Has Never Been Weirder

If you think the U.S. housing market is behaving very, very strangely these days, that probably means you’re paying attention.

New York Could Turn Hotels, Office Buildings Into Affordable Housing

New York state could buy financially distressed office buildings and hotels and convert them into affordable housing.

Here’s what could be next for AT&T’s former downtown tower

Maxus Properties Inc. proposes a revamp of the tower at 500 E. Eighth St. as the Bell Haus Apartments, a $60 million undertaking with a number of multifamily units and coworking space.

KC startup 3Strands debuts nation’s first 3D-­printed homes for sale

A Kansas City-based startup has checked off a notable milestone – debuting the nation’s first group of 3D-printed homes for sale.

New emergency rent and utility assistance now available

Help for families struggling financially due to the COVID-19 pandemic is available through a new program launched by the City of Kansas City.

Renters’ Experiences During COVID-19

Renters’ Experiences During COVID-19 provides new evidence of how the pandemic has increased housing insecurity among renters and how households have navigated this ongoing hardship.

Kansas City Council tightens incentive belt after 10 months of talks

Recent Kansas City legislation shaves a decade off the city’s maximum term for property tax abatements, exemptions or redirections, while constricting the scope of these incentives.

Aging-in-Place—with Strength, Stability and Self-Reliance

In recent years Truman Heritage Habitat for Humanity has been making an important shift from the traditional model of new home construction to an approach that gives equal attention to neighborhood and housing reinvestment.

$162M Troost Village project includes six historic renovations, new construction

Midtown Redevelopment Partners is knee-deep in a $161.9 million effort that its visionaries say will transform a two-and-a-half block area in Kansas City.

Opus, Balboa seek bonds for 256-unit Briarcliff apartment complex

A development partnership for months has been gearing up to bring a $54.5 million multifamily development with affordable housing set-asides.

A Pragmatic, Collaborative Urban Development, Powered by the Neighborhood

The Lykins Community Development Project focuses community development resources in a promising urban core neighborhood to greatly increase the positive impact of development. The Lykins Neighborhood is located 2.5 miles east of downtown Kansas City.

Rebuilding Together Kansas City’s Safe At Home program

Since this local nonprofit began in 2001, Rebuilding Together Kansas City has been repairing homes and rebuilding lives of disadvantaged families in the Kansas City area.

One Man’s Journey from Public Housing to a Home of His Own HAKC’s Family Self Sufficiency Program

Nine years ago, George was living in poverty in an apartment paid for with a Housing Choice Voucher (HCV, formerly Section 8). What was the catalyst for this change? The Housing Authority of Kansas City’s Family Self-Sufficiency Program.

Urban Homesteading—A New Triple Bottom Line

The search for more affordable housing usually smacks into the big elephant; where will all the money come from? One often overlooked strategy, urban homesteading, can skip over that problem entirely, and as added bonuses remove neighborhood blight and strengthen the neighborhood social fabric. It’s a win, win, win.

Mixed Income Housing Development a Win for Residents, for Neighborhood, for Developer

Villa del Sol, developed by McCormack Baron and Salazar in 1997 has been a victory for the neighborhood residents, for the residents of the development, for the developer and its many sponsors.

Treasury Releases List of Emergency Rental Assistance Program Grantees

The U.S. Department of the Treasury posted a list of governments to receive grants through the Emergency Rental Assistance (ERA) program.

Business Continuity Toolkit for Affordable Housing Organizations

Enterprise, HUD, and Fannie Mae held a joint webinar to unveil the Ready to Respond: Business Continuity Toolkit, created to equip multifamily affordable building owners and managers with a plan […]

Johnson County poverty increase highlights the need for affordable housing

United Community Services of Johnson County released its five-year census report on poverty and the results point to a housing market that has yet to improve.

Kansas City Homeless Find Beds At Bartle Hall But Organizers Call It A Band-Aid Solution

One of Bartle Hall’s exhibition rooms will provide shelter for the homeless until March 31.

Developers getting tax incentives in Kansas City must now build affordable housing

Kansas City, Missouri may require developers receiving tax incentives to set aside units as affordable housing.

The State of the Nation’s Housing 2020

This year, the COVID-19 pandemic, a powerful movement for racial justice, and the devastating impacts of climate change have combined to bring the nation’s longstanding housing challenges to the fore. However, historically low interest rates, strength in the for-sale market and in homebuilding could lead a broader US economic recovery.

The Great Real Estate Reset Initiative

The goal of this joint Brookings-LOCUS initiative is to facilitate a more transparent and inclusive conversation in real estate that goes beyond talking to each other behind tiers of member-only paywalls.

Could California’s Shopping Centers Be a Housing Fix?

A trio of bills propose plugging the state’s huge housing gap with commercial-to-residential conversions of strip malls. New research suggests it could work.

EPEC Transitional Housing Project

Empowering the Parent to Empower the Child (EPEC) is a 501(c)3 organization which utilizes an innovative model to address homelessness and generational poverty through its tuition-free job training program The Grooming Project.

Councilwoman Calls Kansas City’s First Step On Affordable Housing In 2021 ‘Minimal’

The Kansas City Council considered an affordable housing requirement for developers several years ago, but the measure failed. Supporters are trying again.

Here are the seven KC-area projects approved for low-income housing tax credits

Seven Kansas City-area affordable housing projects collectively receive $2.83 million in state and $4.53 million in federal LIHTC dollars during this 2020 funding round from the Missouri Housing Development Commission.

Innovative Joint Venture Aims to Invest $1 Billion Nationwide in First Five Years

As tens of millions of people face eviction across the country, a new partnership has been established to assist low-income families and communities of color, who are being disproportionately impacted by the current affordable housing crisis.

Fed Moves to Overhaul Lending Rules for Poorer Communities

The Federal Reserve, following an earlier split between banking regulators, took an initial step to rewrite rules for hundreds of billions of dollars in lending and investment in lower-income neighborhoods.