KC Tenant Bill of Rights Council Meeting

[Kim Tucker]

Note that the Housing Committee Meeting Date, Time and Location Have Changed

Join us on December 2nd at 5:00 pm at the Mohart Center in Kansas City to let the mayor and council members know what an important role Landlords play in providing affordable housing in our cityand how this ordinance will result in increased rents and less affordable housing for low income renters. If you can't make the meeting use the links below to contact committee members.

Click Here to see the Housing Committee Resolution supporting the Tenants Bill of Rights
Click Here to see the Housing Ordinance they are proposing

Most KC Area Housing Provider Groups have joined together to form the KC Regional Housing Alliance We are meeting with individual council members and with the mayor to present our own Housing Bill of Rights. We need your help. Show up at the meeting if you can or call or e-mail council members. 

This ordinance would restrict a landlord's ability to screen tenants, would use taxpayer money to fund a tenant's advocacy office that would assist tenants in any disputes against landlords and could potentially revoke your permit if a tenant complains.

We are also collecting data on who the housing providers are in Kansas City - we have a fairly details survey:

In order to help us make sure we are giving a clear picture of all of the housing providers in our city, please help us collect data to share to reflect the collective impact that we as housing providers have on our rental units in Kansas City, MO. Thank you for helping to tell our story.

Housing Provider Survey

https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSeeBzbg7peTu9FXAxVf5RkYHn4jYRCV8frn73j8SirOaNWFFA/viewform?usp=sf_link

Here are links to the Housing Committee Members e-mailsMayor Quinton Lucas, Chair
Brandon Ellington, Vice Chair
Kevin O'Neill, Member
Ryana Parks-Shaw Member
Dan Fowler, Member

[Kim Tucker]

We had asked all members to attend KC’s Special Committee on Housing Meeting on November 13th and to reach out to the Committee Members.

We have had a few people asking some questions.

Several of the council members emailed everyone who had sent them a message telling them the meeting had been canceled, we received one here at the MAREI offices. And while that particular meeting for that day and time was canceled. It was also rescheduled for December 2nd at 5pm at the Mohart Center at 3200 Wayne, a much larger location.

There are two proposals in front of Kansas City’s Special Committee on Housing Policy. They are proposals set forth by KCTenants and supported by Mayor Lucas. We urge all members to read these proposals and decide for yourself and don’t rely on sound bites and social media posts to decide for you.

• Click Here to see the Housing Committee Resolution supporting the Tenants Bill of Rights ( RESOLUTION NO. 190934 )
• Click Here to see the Housing Ordinance they are proposing
  (ORDINANCE NO. 190935 )

Originally the Committee had planned to vote on these on November 6th, however after many people provided testimony, a few from the Housing Provider community, the committee held the vote over to November 13th. Late on the 12th, the committee decided to move the meeting to December 2nd and to a larger venue.

While we at MAREI and many of the KC Regional Housing Alliance Chose to stay away, there were cameras and recorders in the room. We even found a youtube video with most of the event recorded.

Here are the media’s reports.

• Channel 41: click here
• Channel 9: click here
• Channel 4: click here
• IBWC KC: click here

Read up on the proposals. You can read them directly on the city website at the links above. We also have some highlighted versions that show you concerning language. (190934 and 190935).

Form Your Own Informed Decision. These ordinances will affect everyone differently. There are good parts and bad parts and some are duplications of existing law such as Fair Housing, Missouri Landlord Tenant Law, City Codes, and the Healthy Homes Ordinance.

While they are not necessarily in charge of anyone, there is an all-volunteer group that has been meeting with the city on housing issues for several years. Just November 6th, they formally set up with a name: Kansas City Regional Housing Alliance and the meeting and the initial vote on these ordinances took precedence over sharing with you their proposals.

Supported by virtually all Housing Industry organizations in the KC Metro, they have their own agenda and that you can download, read and debate. Click Here

1. Tell the Committee: We have all the committee members and their contact listed out. Please take the time to tell the committee what you think.
2. Attend the Meeting on December 2nd: Be sure to attend the meeting on December 2nd.

• Take part in the conversation
• Mark Yourself Going or Interested in the Event on the 2nd. (click here)
• Invite friends to attend the event with you