Kansas City 'Rent Strike' Demands Support From Elected Officials

KC Tenants leadership recently shared a fiery polemic that mistakenly seems to think that we're still back in the Summer of 2020 and might not have noticed recent election returns. 

Nevertheless . . . This line makes a valid point . . .  

"Why vote to save democracy if they can't save the roof over your head?" 

Here's the local angle that previews more pressure on local officials . . .

"Landlords must make repairs and agree to rent caps; the Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA), which oversees Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, must push to attach rent caps to the $150 billion of financing they offer landlords every year. Tenants, brought in through campaigns in their own buildings, are recruited to join the union, bringing more power to other local fights. Elected officials, meanwhile, can get on board or get out of the way. In Kansas City, they’ve chosen to get on board, in what is now, after almost two months, the longest rent strike in city history. Congressman Emanuel Cleaver, hardly a progressive champion, has been pushed to advocate on behalf of the tenants federally; the FHFA, for its part, has authorized $1.35 million for immediate repairs. Tenants, however, are refusing to back down until they secure rent caps."

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

The Renters' Republic | Charlie Dulik

In a majority-homeowner nation, the rental crisis alone cannot explain Harris's defeat, especially since the concentration of renters in cities means that as a group they likely still tilted toward her. But the demographic overlap between tenants and those who moved away from Harris cannot be ignored.