TKC BREAKING NEWS MUST READ!!! COUNCILMAN QUINTON LUCAS TALKS NORTHLAND PUBLIC HOUSING DEBATE!!!



An ongoing Northland low-income housing debate has implications for all of Kansas City and beyond.

To wit . . .

KANSAS CITY COUNCILMAN QUINTON LUCAS TALKS RISING TENSIONS AMID NORTHLAND RESISTANCE TO BROKE-ASS NEW NEIGHBORS!!!

Again, this is a longstanding problem and battle lines have already been drawn.

There's a petition with thousands of signatures and comments noting nearby neighborhood resistance.

Northeast News covered the topic in great detail last year

KCPT recently included the Northland debate with in their examination of Kansas City affordable housing or lack thereof . . . 

And so, this comprehensive examination of the topic is important for a lot of reasons but mostly because Councilman Lucas is a leading (yet still undeclared) contender for the next Kansas City Mayor and he's one of the few people in this debate who isn't calling everyone racist or using subtle language to malign po'folk.

Here's his take that will undoubtedly influence the conversation. Checkit:

Councilman Quinton Lucas Addresses Controversy Over Kansas City Replacing Chouteau Courts

One of the more interesting parts of our affordable housing conversation is about how we ensure it's available throughout all of Kansas City. This issue came up last summer in discussion of the $30 million HUD Choice Neighborhood Grant.

As part of the grant application, the City and its partners, agreed that in addition to replacing old, substandard public housing in the Historic Northeast area, we'd also provide new mixed-income housing in other parts of the City. The developers and Housing Authority looked to the Northland as a place to provide around 30 replacement opportunities for public housing clients.

The City, Housing Authority, and Developers rolled out the plan at a July 5th meeting, which led to a number of community concerns relating to a lack of prior consultation, density, property value and public safety impact, and programming and public transportation (or a lack thereof) for residents relocating to the Barry Road corridor. There was a feeling from some nearby residents and an online petition that yielded over 4,500 signatories that the proposal was being rammed through without accounting for community concerns and during an ill-timed meeting. There was a feeling by some others, most recently highlighted in a KCPT – Kansas City PBS special, that the opposition was based on discriminatory intent against the low income population. I'll note here I appear in the KCPT piece but was interviewed about affordable housing generally, not this project. I wish I had been because we might have been able to make a few things clear. I'll try to do so here:

1. No part of the city is uniformly racist, nor is any part of the city uniformly benevolent. After the meeting about the project, I received a few messages that were vile and disrespectful of people in public housing. I spent most of my childhood in public or low income housing and live in mixed income housing today, so was concerned with those comments and remain so today. But also after the meeting groups like Northland Neighborhoods Inc, Platte County Economic Development Council, the Kansas City Missouri Police Department North Patrol, and neighborhood activists from the Northland reached out to the City, Housing Authority, and developer to work on a solution and a path forward. Since that time representatives from these Northland organizations have been working toward developing a project in the Northland that provides quality housing and accessibility for low income residents. I expect these groups working with the City and related agencies to come up with a site idea in the Northland and to help facilitate public conversation in upcoming months. I attended the last meeting and look forward to attending future meetings.

2. The Northland, like any part of the city, has different types of people, including folks of low income, children of different races, and those who speak different languages. Just as one example, I have visited with North Kansas City Schools about the socially and economically diverse student body they teach each day. There are a lot of good people in the Northland and there are some with whom I disagree strongly. But the amazing thing about being an at-large representative is that I see that's the case for the whole city, including the part in which I reside. Key stakeholders in the Northland and with our city will ensure that a few negative viewpoints don't keep us from doing what's right. I also believe the majority of folks know that having quality housing that helps families improve their lot in life should be welcome in all communities.

3. This isn't even really a Northland conversation as much as I think we all should take the time to re-evaluate our view on affordable housing and its clients. Low income folks are in every school district in our area, work at your businesses, and are key to improving our region. Providing fair wages, quality housing, and educational opportunities is what we need to do in all Kansas City neighborhoods.

We're on the clock, so I'll keep you posted on this one. Q.
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Developing . . .

Comments

  1. Give him credit for having an open mind. Almost nobody comes into this issue without having a lot of emotional baggage. Definitely not what's needed. Would rather the city conducted more research into the impact of the development and the cost/benefit to neighbors.

    Numbers and not feelings should be the goal here.

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    1. The fix is in. KCMO is dumping more public housing in the northland because they're running out of affordable space on their side of the river.

      THAT is why we're seeing so much more new crime in neighborhoods and more violence in lower rent apartments. The trend is already underway. It's an experiment gone wrong that will take property values south and create more blight.

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    2. Really don't see the debate here.

      The neighbors don't want it. THAT should be the end of story. Everything else or after that is really just justification for stepping on the rights of a neighborhood.

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  2. They pay good money to keep away from that mess.

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  3. To hell with Lucas, he’s trying to make this black vs white. People moved north and paid big money to get away from these morons. Why do the coloreds on the council and the mayor want to destroy the only good part of the city left? What purpose does it serve them other than trying to run white people out of the city, is that the goal here?

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  4. Where will they get money if they run the whites out! If that did happen build a wall around this dump and call it the new county jail! Lol!

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  5. Or call it the new chimp exhibit at the killa shitty zoo! Now that’s funny right there!

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  6. common sense5/12/18, 1:29 PM

    To the city troll who placed the first post here, "cost/benefit to neighbors".

    There is NO BENEFIT TO NEIGHBORS. It should read "cost/detriment".

    As night follows day, violent crime will increase in direct proportion to an increase in low rent minority occupancy North of the river.

    Rather, since we taxpayers are already subsidizing Cordish, why don't you corrupt assholes make those buildings your next "projects".

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  7. 12:42 Take your "open mind" and shove it up your ass. And you suggest killacity conduct more research? By whom, the same East Side fake preachers who are trying to name Paseo MLK Blvd? Who's payroll are you on?

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  8. If the city is so proud of this housing project, why don'e they put it next to Zona Rosa or their new pet area, Twin Creeks!

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  9. sLIE doesn’t want the projects anywhere near his downtown, where by the way there’s plenty of space to put them since they tore down the old projects. But good ole sLIE wants them far far away so he can’t see them and won’t be bothered by the commoners or peasants

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  10. There’s a reason crime is sooooooo low up north, no coloreds to ruin everything but that’s coming to an end thanks to idiots downtown

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  11. The perfect example here is look at Overland Park, Shawnee. and Olathe which has seen a huge increase in low income housing and what else has come along with it.

    It isn't the housing people hate, it's the crime that comes with it.

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  12. I will NEVER...EVER live in KCMO again. Also, too many decent areas in the northland that are going to go to shit soon if not already.

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  13. 2:08...in the 80s and 90s Olathe pushed a lot of low income housing, sec 8, etc...and thats when Olathe changed for the worse...forever. Now look at it...west Olathe feels like Mexico. The stabbings are more common, the drivers with no insurance, etc. Shawnee? Dont get me started. Lenexa stabbings are also in alignment with hispanic spots. This is what "diversity" does to safe communities. Just like when diversity arrives to the plaza..the police have to come.

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  14. 2:17 you forgot the mooslims and colored peoples

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  15. I grew up in south KC in the late 70's early 90's. I can tell you first hand that HUD ruins neighborhoods,period!!! Drive by old Bannister Mall, Grandview, Ruskin, and now out to State line and prove me wrong. I am now a northlander and if this bullshit moves up north it will be ruined too. Keep the HUD out south. They did all they could to ruin that end of town so bon appetit. If you let the scum up north, the showbiz gorilla a.k.a our worthless mayor will have Detroit on his hands. Of course aside from grifting and getting money from Burns and Macdonald did he ever really care?!?!

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  16. Is this another on of the initiatives Chris, er I mean Go4KC, was talking about when he said KCMO was moving forward come hell or high water?

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  17. Well, they sure brought hell, trashy ass town, streets and sidewalks are shit, murders and crime out of control, yup, moving forward alright, straight to hell. Why is it they think we need what they want and not what we want? Glad to feel so loved by council and the mayor

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  18. The black leaders have failed this city twice now, No way we can survive another one

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  19. The KCPS is a prime example of black leadership or lack of.

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  20. Leadership can be bad black or white. What's bad is replacing bad leadership with more bad leadership.

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  21. My point was that both black mayors have screwed this city to death

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  22. it took more than just the black voters to elect Slie

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  23. Yup 14% turnout

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  24. Northland... Hmmm. He was completely mum on the issue of East Patrol and the housing catastrophe that was/is (continuing). Me thinks he favors the Northland to his own district because he’s done little for the district he was elected in. Albeit, he represents the whole City but his title is 3rd District City Councilman At-Large, which is interpreted to me as a representative of the District with considerations of the entire City populace. He’s top heavy on “entire City populace” and missing in action when it comes specifically to the 3rd District. Whatever... #blightmekc

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  25. Bend over Northland. The blacks at city Hall are gonna shove it right up your white ass, and they're giddy about it.

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  26. !! DEANNEXATION NOW !!

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  27. I'm lubing up 4:50 PM believe me.

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  28. Yeah, why not screw up the rest of the city ? NKC school district will lose accreditation, Clay County jail is too full, parole more killers, urban youth ruin Zona Rosa. People world wide avoid MLK airport figuring the city is dangerous. Screw diversity we need an ethno virus quick.

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  29. People are constantly calling for growth and revitalization east of Troost. Putting new HUD housing there would be an attractive new addition to the area, and urbanites that want to live in that area would probably appreciate the option of new, modern housing. Win-win.

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  30. Suggestion: Would everyone named Quinton please shut up and go away please.

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