The questions centered around the discussion of affordability, development, and housing creation. Above all, it was how they would make their voters’ voices heard.
The questions centered around the discussion of affordability, development, and housing creation. Above all, it was how they would make their voters’ voices heard.
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The questions centered around the discussion of affordability, development, and housing creation. Above all, it was how they would make their voters’ voices heard.
City council candidates in Kansas City, Missouri, answered questions from people working in the real estate industry about what they would do to solve the housing crisis.
The forum was held at the Plaza Library on Monday night. Representatives from more than a dozen organizations in the housing and development industry listened in.
The questions centered around the discussion of affordability, development, and housing creation. Above all, it was about how they would make their voters’ voices heard.
Stacey Johnson-Cosby helped organize the forum. She’s worked in real estate for more than 30 years and is the president of the KC Regional Housing Alliance.
“Our goal is to make sure that our interests are being well represented in the housing industry,” Johnson-Cosby said. “Over the last few years, our voices have pretty much been shut out of the process.”
Recently, she said she’s had to sell properties and move her business to a different city because of policies put in place by the current city council.
“The policies that are coming out of City Hall are just not conducive to us staying here,” Johnson-Cosby said. “We are not invited to the table and instead activists create a lot of the policies and then we are stuck with those.”
Activists, like those with KC Tenants Power, also want their voices heard.
“In KC Tenants, we believe that housing is a human right. We are fighting towards social housing,” Sarah Davis, a leader with KC Tenants Power, said.
Davis said the priority should be on people, not profit, when it comes to housing.
“Our organization is all about winning governing power for poor and working-class tenants and people of all housing situations across the city,” Davis said. “I definitely want to hear real plans and like, what do you mean by you want to provide housing for the people in the city? What kind of housing? How much does it cost? Like let’s talk numbers, let’s talk specifics.”
About a dozen candidates addressed those concerns in front of a full room Monday night.
There are 22 candidates on the ballot. Voters head to the polls on June 20 to vote on their new city council representatives.
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Dozens listen in as KCMO City Council candidates talk housing crisis in metro – KMBC Kansas City
