Building homes for those in need. It’s a noble cause and it’s making a difference right here in Kansas City. The Habitat for Humanity Scattered Site Urban Renewal Plan not only provides permanent shelter for families in need—mostly single mothers and their children—it helps give each family a new opportunity for growth, achievement and long-term success. The EDC is proud to be a part of this effort in Kansas City.
This partnership between Habitat for Humanity Kansas City, the City of Kansas City and the EDC’s Land Clearance for Redevelopment Authority will create 30 new housing units for low-income families. Together, they used a $5,000 grant from the City to create the scattered site urban renewal plan on blighted parcels in Kansas City’s urban core. The first home was completed in November 2009 and the final one will be completed by 2014.
Kellee Wood, Development Services Specialist at the EDC, led the organization’s efforts to identify sites, secure funding and develop the urban renewal plan.
“The EDC was fantastic because they had the idea to secure a 10-year tax abatement for each property,” said Yahna Gibson, Executive Director of Habitat for Humanity Kansas City. “This kind of innovative thinking kept the properties affordable and, as a byproduct, helps these families stabilize their lives and stay on the track toward successful home ownership.”
“At the EDC, we are each committed to creating a better Kansas City,” Wood said. “A project like this isn’t about having the biggest or most architecturally interesting building in the metro. It’s about having a personal impact on a family, and making a difference in their lives. It’s making the city better one family at a time. And we’re all very proud of that.”
Habitat for Humanity Kansas City, now celebrating its 30th anniversary, is the seventh-oldest affiliate of Habitat for Humanity International. As a 501(c)(3) non-profit Christian ministry, the team works to fulfill the dream of home ownership for low-income families in the greater Kansas City metropolitan area.
