Regional Housing Partnership expands coalition working to address housing affordability and instability issues

Marisol Bello, executive director of the Housing Narrative Lab conducted the event’s keynote address. She shared that Kansas Citians on both sides of the state line are seeing some of the highest rent increases in the country. “Our research finds that more people are experiencing housing instability or homelessness, or they know someone who is,” said Bello. “Seniors, veterans, parents, people with disabilities on fixed incomes, many of whom are one medical emergency away from losing their home.” 

Geoff Jolley, executive director of LISC Kansas City, previewed what’s coming next for the RHP. “I’m excited to announce the Regional Housing Partnership and the Housing Narrative Lab will launch a new initiative next year around how we think and communicate about housing,” said Jolley. “The goal of this initiative is to inspire the entire region to support housing solutions that make our communities healthy, safe and vibrant.”

Sponsored by the Central Bank of Kansas City, the event also highlighted the transition from building the RHP framework to expanding the stakeholder community working on housing issues. The RHP created new Impact and Action Work Groups focusing on workforce, policy and process and community voice. Each work group will work to:

• Workforce - strengthen the region’s housing construction workforce to support the restoration, production and maintenance of affordable housing.
• Policy and Process - analyze, identify and promote implementation of policies that support the creation, preservation and accessibility of affordable housing.
• Community Voice - Engage community members to enhance public understanding of the importance of attainable and affordable housing. 

Convened and supported by Mid-America Regional Council and LISC Kansas City, the mission of the RHP is to foster a thriving housing system that produces and sustains a sufficient supply of quality, attainable housing options to meet the challenge. The RHP acts as a driving force for change by bringing together diverse partnerships to develop collaborative and innovative solutions that increase the availability, stability and accessibility of affordable housing in the region. The RHP is funded by the generous support of the Marion and Henry Bloch Family Foundation, the Health Forward Foundation, the Hall Family Foundation and the Sunderland Foundation.