KSHB 41 reporter Charlie Keegan covers politics in Kansas, Missouri and at the local level. Share your story idea with Charlie.
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Mayor Quinton Lucas tackled housing in his State of the City speech Wednesday, an issue that has been a key topic of discussion.
James Welsh has two children in college, and he wonders how they will afford a home in Kansas City in the future.
“What I’m paying for a mortgage I acquired 20 years ago, my kids are paying $600 more in rent right now,” Welsh said.
In his speech Wednesday, Mayor Lucas first celebrated the city’s affordable housing trust fund, which has helped pay for 10,000 new housing units since 2022.
Lucas wants solutions beyond requiring luxury downtown developers to include affordable housing in each project, he wants the city to invest in neighborhoods.
“My goal is to say, 'how do we make sure we have more housing funding available for single family property owners, how do we keep people in the neighborhoods,'” Lucas pointed out.
“I do feel like absolutely there is a shift in affordability,” Welsh said.
Mayor Lucas guaranteed more support to a legal program that helps tenants before they get evicted, calling it the most successful right to counsel program in the United States.
Below is a breakdown by county of how many households spend more than 30% of their income on housing, according to MARC's Housing Data Hub.
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