Greater Kansas City, MO

LEADERSHIP
Executive Director:
Julie Porter
Chair, Local Advisory Committee:
Michael Hagedorn,
UMB Financial Corp.
CONTACT INFORMATION
600 Broadway, Suite 280
Kansas City, Missouri 64105
Telephone: (816) 753-0055
Fax: (816) 753-6883
Website

Established in 1981

Achievements by the Numbers:

(By LISC and Affiliates since inception)
  • 3,491 homes and apartments
  • 995,466 square feet of commercial space
  • $130.7 million total investment
  • $282.9 million leveraged

Profile:

In 2006, Greater Kansas City LISC launched NeighborhoodsNOW, a multi-year program that brings a comprehensive approach to Kansas City neighborhood redevelopment. NeighborhoodsNOW concentrates resources in six neighborhoods with significant forward momentum and the support of high performing CDCs that act as lead agencies. NeighborhoodsNOW continues to increase the availability of high-quality housing choices: 35 new single-family homes have been built and sold, 24 rehabs completed and sold, and 203 minor home repair/weatherization projects completed. Many of the new homes are Energy-Star rated, which means homeowners enjoy lower energy bills. In the Douglass-Sumner neighborhood in Kansas City, two of six new single-family homes are completed. These are the first new homes to be constructed in 50 years and are a strong first step toward revitalizing this historic neighborhood.

In safety, LISC helped several local organizations come together to create the Northeast HELP Center, which will provide Health Education Labor and Public safety services at one central site. In addition, LISC supported a Spanish immersion program in partnership with the police, to help bridge relationships with Hispanic business owners, and provided grant funding for police officers to attend a Crime Prevention through Environmental Design seminar. In education, LISC helped fund The Upper Room’s Summer Academic Camp, an eight-week educational program, offered free of charge to elementary and middle school students in low-income communities. Due to a $2.5 million bridge loan from LISC, the camp was able to increase their enrollment to 2,700 students from 1,500 students at 28 sites in 2010. In order to stimulate economic development, LISC and State Farm supported the Self-Supported Municipal Improvement District in Downtown Kansas City. Since then, new street banners, façade improvements, a monthly Second-Friday’s Art Fair, safety ambassador program and re-entry workforce program are all helping Downtown KCK become a vibrant, safe and inviting commercial district.