New York Times Trumpets Rise Of KC Tenants: New Political Power Player???

Today the New York Times highlights the political activism of a local group that grabs headlines but hasn't had much garnering political influence.

Remember that KC Tenants was once aligned with Mayor Q but now seem to be parting ways with the city hall honcho over legislation that most residents politely ignore. 

Even more context before we start getting carried away with ourselves . . . 

Let's not forget that the NYT predicted a "millennial revolution" for Kansas City back in 2014 and the outcome of that bold statement was nothing more or less than a few hipster coffee shops opening and now going out of business this week. 

Still . . .

We believe KC Tenants moving into politics is a GOOD THING because now the public will be able to look at campaign finance reports, judge the group on their endorsement list and document their influence based on facts more substantial than staged protests and social media chatter. 

To wit . . .

Most voters understand that winning elections is far more complicated than protesting and mean tweets. 

Still . . . 

We won't deny the group their day in the sun and lovingly crafted news coverage from the nation's paper of record . . . Check-it . . .

But with a steadily expanding economy driven by the logistics and medical industries, Kansas City has seen its rents increase 8.5 percent from a year ago, outpacing the rest of the nation, according to rental search site Apartment List. Over the past decade, Kansas City, like many places, has added a collection of high-end towers and apartments even as its stock of low-income housing has withered. The strain from rising rents, which landlords say they need to cover their costs, is creeping from people working in low-income service professions to middle-income teachers and city workers, part of a festering affordable housing crunch that spreads more widely across the nation each month.

KC Tenants is one result. Pairing aggressive protests with traditional lobbying, the group exploded onto the political scene during the pandemic and has since become instrumental in passing tenant-friendly laws like an ordinance that gives renters a lawyer during eviction proceedings. It has also left a trail of embittered opponents who find the group’s tactics, such as protesting outside judges’ homes, ill-suited to what many residents describe as a cordial Midwestern town.

Read more via www.TonysKansasCity.com link . . .

The Rent Revolution Is Coming

For the 44 million households who rent a home or apartment in the U.S., inflation keeps pushing costs higher and higher. Anger is rising too. It could be a breaking point. Tiana Caldwell, a co-founder and Board President of KC Tenants, outside the East Patrol Division Station in Kansas City after being arrested during the group's disruption of a city council vote on a new set of housing ordinances.