KCMO Council to vote on affordable housing ordinance

Members of the Kansas City, Mo. City Council are expected to vote Thursday on an ordinance that would require any housing developer receiving tax incentives from the city to reserve a portion of their units for affordable housing.

The proposal comes from Councilmember Melissa Robinson, who has been a force pushing the council to address the issue of affordable housing in the city.

The proposed ordinance says 20 percent of units would have to be set aside for affordable housing and of that, 10 percent would be set aside for families earning 70 percent of that income. The other half would go to families earning only 30 percent.

Several letters were submitted in public testimony in support and opposition of the ordinance. Two letters opposing the legislation argue it would have a negative effect on development.

This latest proposal would require multi-family residential projects seeking incentives have at least 10 percent of those units be affordable, with monthly rents $1,000 or less, and 10 percent be extremely affordable, about $500 to $700 per month, according to a report by KCUR.

Developers who can’t achieve that housing set-aside would make a payment in lieu of units to the city’s Housing Trust Fund.