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KC Tenants – Tara Raghuveer
Kansas City has a crisis of homelessness and housing insecurity affecting thousands of residents that is directly tied to the massive loss of employment due to the pandemic. Tara Raghuveer is founding director of KC Tenants, an organization dedicated to ensuring everyone in the metropolitan area has a safe, accessible and affordable home. Alongside others on the KC Tenants team, she tirelessly campaigns to create and pass effective public policy, respond to residents’ crisis housing situations, and correct misconceptions about those affected by evictions.
“In general, people who are housing insecure or experiencing homelessness are really good people, sometimes with two or three jobs, who have been let go or their employers have shut their doors, so they are losing one position after another,” said Raghuveer. “The working poor take pride in providing for themselves and their families. They are doing all they can to make ends meet, keep up with their bills and childcare and whatever the school situation is. COVID-19 has created a problem outside of their control and now they are desperate for help.”
Initial moratoriums on evictions put in place at the onset of the pandemic have lapsed and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s temporary halt to residential evictions ends December 31. While otherwise the federal government is silent on the issue, local governments feel the impact and have to step in as thousands of their residents fall into homelessness.
Raghuveer grew up in the Kansas City area. Her Harvard senior thesis was on evictions. She moved back to Kansas City after organizing in Chicago for five years to build power with tenants.
“We know that evictions are a cause and condition of poverty,” she said. “They have cascading impacts for families and the communities in which they live with downstream effects on health and education. After an eviction there is more than housing insecurity that impacted families deal with – it can mark every aspect of their life, for good.”
Raghuveer and others determined that moratoriums, rental assistance and like measures were limited and temporary. Effective public policy, while difficult to enact, has the best opportunity for long lasting change.
In December 2019, KC Tenants wrote and passed a Tenants Bill of Rights for Kansas City. Among other things, it establishes a Division of Housing and Community Development (Office of the Tenant Advocate) to assure implementation and enforcement of basic tenant rights.
On a federal level, Raghuveer said there were two dozen sponsors of legislation relating to rent and mortgage cancellation introduced last spring but it did not make it into the $1.13 trillion HEROES Act providing emergency supplemental funding in response to the pandemic. “Even now it is not too late to develop federal policy that forgives accrued tenant debt and also considers others in the tenant economy,“Raghuveer said.
Raguhveer said there are very few protections for tenants in Missouri and while there are good local landlords there are too many who are bad actors, some from out of state with no investment in the community who get away with abusive behavior toward tenants, evicting them from places uninhabitable in the first place.
“We cannot rely on the good will of private landlords as sufficient to solve the eviction crisis,” she said. “For every landlord doing the right thing for their tenants, there are many more who are not. The bad actors need to be held accountable.”
Raghuveer said that there is more action that can be done to make a difference in Kansas City’s homelessness crisis –investment today in converting and rehousing families in vacant properties like hotels and schools; more coming together to call for the city to take action to protect tenants and remedy abusive situations caused by bad landlords; support organizations like KC Tenants and the Kansas City Eviction Project; educate yourself about the eviction crisis here and across the U.S.
“The cost of homelessness and housing insecurity is substantial,” said Raghuveer. “We have to address it, or we will all pay the price one way or another.”
Advocacy – DaRon McGee
Community Builders of Kansas City’s 2020-2023 strategic plan lays out five goals – 1. Increase organizational capacity, 2. Develop an integrated entrepreneurial model, 3. Build and maintain financial stability, 4. Empower families and communities and 4. Implement a comprehensive communications strategy. Each details the evidence required to prove progress on the stated goals. DaRon McGee contributes to the evidence for Goal #4 – Empower. When he joined the CBKC team in January 2020 in the consulting role of community and government relations manager, he hit the ground running.
“It is important to me to be able to see the result of our work and I get to do that in this role,” said McGee. “Community Builders has made it a priority to be involved in the community and, even with the limitations of the pandemic, we are going after it full-on.”
McGee said CBKC’s approach is to listen and respond to what the community needs. This can be seen across all of the organization’s projects, including its development projects. The Offices at Overlook, a mixed-use project on 11 acres at the corner of Swope Parkway and Chestnut Avenue, includes a health and wellness walking trail, outdoor event plazas and generous green space all in response to community requests for more walkable areas to enjoy throughout the week.
A higher profile part of that response has been through a series of public events. In July, CBKC hosted a free food distribution and COVID-19 testing drive-thru for area residents. Nearly 1,500 adults, children and seniors in more than 400 households received boxes of meat, dairy and fresh fruit and vegetables provided by Harvesters Community Food Network while another 225 were able to be tested by Swope Health for COVID-19.
In September, CBKC partnered with Kansas City Public Schools to present the safe, socially distanced, end-of-summer Movie Night at Starlight with free food and beverages provided by the CBKC-owned Blue Parkway Sun Fresh Market and supported by a number of sponsors including Starlight, KC Parks Partners, 5th District Councilwoman Ryana Parks-Shaw, 5th District Councilman Lee Barnes, Jr., Patricia A. Jones Macklin and more.
“CBKC did the food distribution and COVID testing drive-thru in response to a lack of testing in the central city and the increase in food insecurity caused by the pandemic,” said McGee. “The end-of-summer event acknowledged that kids, whole families, have been stuck inside for months. This was a way to offer something fun, free and safe.”
Other events are planned for fall. On October 3, CBKC will present a safe, socially distanced free outdoor concert by Kansas City Symphony musicians in the parking lot of its offices at 4001 Blue Parkway. The organization is actively exploring other opportunities to continue its outreach into the holiday season.
On a day-to-day basis, McGee also facilitates technical assistance for community members, helping guide them to resources that can help with everything from utilities to counseling. He also keeps elected officials and staff professionals informed and involved in what the organization is doing. “Our knowing we are doing good work is not enough,” he added. “We have to continually show the evidence and impact of the good work and why it is essential that our governmental and other partners come alongside CBKC to help make the kind of difference that lasts.”Previous to joining CBKC, McGee served as program administrator for Jackson County COMBAT which fights substance abuse and drug-related crime, served as a state representative in the Missouri legislature and worked in community relations for Truman Medical Center.
“Emmet (Pierson, Jr., CBKC CEO) has empowered me to do what is right and good,” said McGee. “It is great to work for an organization that backs you all the way to get the kind of results that matter results to our community.”
Customer is King for New Sun Fresh on Blue Parkway Store Director
Sacking groceries at Milgrim’s on 24 Highway & Noland Road in Independence launched what has now been a more than 30-year career in the grocery business for John King, the new store director for Sun Fresh on Blue Parkway. In May, Community Builders of Kansas City announced that it would be the owner/operator of this grocery store effective June 30, 2020. Bringing on King was one of the first moves CBKC made in its commitment to develop the Sun Fresh into a top-shelf operation.
“John is a long-time grocery professional and he is from the community,” said Emmet Pierson, Jr., CBKC president and CEO. “He has both the experience and the passion to elevate the performance of this grocery store and respond to what its customers have been asking for – better product quality and choice and a great customer experience.”
Over the years, King has worked in positions of increasing responsibility including store director for store brands that have included Hen House, Price Chopper and Sun Fresh on both sides of the state line and in urban and suburban communities.
“I often was asked to go to a property to help improve its operation and profitability,” King said. “It was great experience and I learned a lot working in different parts of town with employees and customers of every background. I am bringing all that to Sun Fresh on Blue Parkway and am excited to have this opportunity to make a difference here.”
In addition for working nearly 20 years for one of the area’s largest supermarket systems, King also worked for multi-national supply chain manager XPO Logistics as an operations supervisor handling its client, Amazon, and seeing how that company operated and moved its product. More experience came along when King operated his own grocery shopping and delivery service and provided residential real estate consulting to help others navigate the often daunting and complex process of buying a home.
“My career has had a consistent focus on the customer experience,” said King. “It is challenging and satisfying to understand the customer need and then fulfill it. I look forward to seeing that happen here. There is huge potential for Sun Fresh on Blue Parkway. Change for the better is coming.”
We Code KC – Preparing Today’s Youth for Tomorrow’s Tech Jobs
We Code KC was founded in 2019 by Tammy Buckner and Dr. Philip Hickman to help ensure kids in the urban core have equal access to technology. Its free classes expose kids ages 7-17 to computer programming, technology and cyber security in hopes of igniting interest and expanding racial diversity in the field.
Community Builders of Kansas City donated office space in its 5008 Prospect building to the organization, which Buckner said was the perfect location.
“CBKC’s mission of serving the inner core aligns with ours and what better way to improve lives than to teach kids the technology skills that are increasingly in demand in today’s job market,” she said. Classes pivoted to an online learning platform with the onset of COVID-19.
The organization sometimes gets the opportunity to teach with real-world projects as it is doing with The Guy Experience. We Code KC announced in May that it had been hired to develop a mobile app and website for this start-up, an experience management company for the 21st century guy.
In the classroom, the number of participants can vary from 24 to 30 kids with curriculum determined by age. Younger kids learn Scratch, a programming language created specifically for children, while older teens learn Python, the software language used to code robots, or Internet programming languages like CSS, Java Script and HTML. Buckner said she is extremely grateful to the teachers and software engineers who volunteer their time, making the program robust and comprehensive.
“No matter what your zip code is, you should have the opportunity to learn about tech and how to code,” said Buckner. “Very few schools in the inner core have technology classes built into the curriculum and there aren’t many options in the community either. We see kids in our program develop creativity, problem solving skills and self-confidence.”
Buckner wants the community to know about and jump on this opportunity. “This is a way for your kids to learn skills free of charge that will enable them to work in an industry that is expanding,” she said. “We’re teaching kids skills for jobs that haven’t even been created yet.”
In addition to its current classes aimed at kids under 17, We Code KC is planning a future program for ages 18 and over that will create a pipeline of job-ready, tech-savvy employees for the community.
Programs have been extremely popular so the group is in need of mentors and volunteers, computer experience not required. If you are interested in learning more about We Code KC or volunteering, visit https://wecodekc.org/.
Change is Coming to Sun Fresh on Blue Parkway
On June 30, 2020, Community Builders of Kansas City (CBKC) will become the owner/operator of Sun Fresh on Blue Parkway following the retirement of the current operator. While the COVID-19 pandemic will dictate aspects of the transition process, CBKC’s commitment is to develop over time a best-in-class grocery store that delivers the quality shopping experience the community deserves.
This move is consistent with CBKC’s investment model, which is to develop and hold its real estate projects to ensure they perform. It established the grocery-anchored retail center on Blue Parkway in 2005. It owns the 150,000-square-foot Shops on Blue Parkway, which is 90 percent leased; the adjacent 69,000-square-foot office building where CBKC is headquartered, which is 100 percent leased; and is building a 64-unit, market rate apartment building on the campus.
It also is consistent with CBKC”s mission to strengthen families and transform communities. Taking ownership of this community supermarket broadens the organization’s platform to advance an eat well, live well initiative in the urban core. And it keeps the community’s money in the community, recirculating the investment among the urban residents and workers it is meant to benefit.
In one of its first moves to secure a healthy future for this Sun Fresh, CBKC hired John King as store director. An experienced grocery operator, King worked nearly 20 years for one of the area’s largest supermarket systems, which operates multiple store brands including Hen House and Price Chopper in addition to Sun Fresh. King also served as operation supervisor for XPO Logistics, a supply chain operator, and, for more than five years, owned a shopping and delivery service.
In the coming months, CBKC will look to identify ways to listen to community input – safely in the COVID-19 environment – and accommodate their preferences on store product, customer experience and supporting services such as banking or pharmacy. In time, the customer insights will inform plans for potential physical improvements within the store’s footprint.
While bearing the cost to make this happen, CBKC acknowledges that it continues to be extremely difficult to get projects done in the urban core. Others are needed. Investment from partners in the city, local and national foundations and the support of our community members all come together to see the provision of essential services and completion of needed projects through. It will be no different with Sun Fresh on Blue Parkway.
CBKC Plans Iconic Offices at Overlook Development
Community Builders of Kansas City is in the planning stages of developing a mixed-use property on 11 acres that will transform the corner of Swope Parkway and Chestnut Avenue. Plans for the estimated $80 – $100 million project include 180,000 square feet of Class A office space, 19,000 square feet of mixed-use space and 155 multi-family units. Onsite features include a health and wellness walking trail, outdoor event plazas and a shared conference/meeting building. Upon completion, the project will bring CBKC’s total commercial development to more than 700,000 square feet and residential units to 850.
CBKC invested $2 million and was awarded funds from the city’s Public Improvements and Advisory Committee (PIAC). The organization is in the process of completing land acquisition and has applied for Central City Economic Development (CCED) funding for site infrastructure. An application to Kansas City’s City Planning & Development department for rezoning of the property is pending.
“Offices at Overlook is another CBKC transformational initiative taking place east of Prospect,” said Emmet Pierson, Jr., president and CEO of CBKC. “The Class A office space, amenities and housing will revive underused land, enhance quality of life and help our community grow and thrive.”
The architect for the project is Hufft Projects and the construction partner is Turner Construction.
“Working on the design for this important project has been a real honor,” said Matthew Hufft, co-founder of Hufft Projects. “CBKC made it clear that the architecture and master plan are to be transformative. We rose to the challenge by designing a site that will be a constantly active amenity to the surrounding area with particular attention to landscaping and site programming, the play of light throughout and an emphasis on the interchange of indoor and outdoor uses.”
Demolition and site clearing is slated to begin in late summer 2020 and phase one construction, a 64,000-square-foot office building with three stories and private tenant roof terraces, is scheduled to start December 2020. Consistent with CBKC’s mission, its tenant prospects include those that provide in-demand services or amenities to the surrounding community.
