KSHB 41 reporter Grant Stephens covers stories involving downtown Kansas City, Missouri up to North Kansas City. Share your story idea with Grant.
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A full week of rent strikes at Quality Hill Towers in Kansas City highlights a history of issues tenants said they've experienced at the property.
While their actions have drawn attention, tenants said there's been little action to fix longstanding issues.
Due in part to the rent strike, Healthy Homes inspected the apartments last week.
The program found several violations, but none so severe tenants would need to move out.
However, Hell Woods, a tenant who has lived in the apartment for years, said that isn't enough.
Over a year ago, Woods worked to draw attention to some of the issues at the building by helping form a tenant union.
The group hoped some of the issues inspectors recently found would have been taken care of, but Woods said "nothing" has changed.
"I mean, if anything, some things have gotten worse," she said. "We're all dealing with the exact same issues we've been dealing with this entire past two years and beyond ... Still flooding, still roaches, still electrical issues."
Several city council members visited the building amid the strikes.
"They toured our property, they know what we're dealing with," Woods said.
She said while the tenants have been seen, the strike will continue until they've been fully heard.
"Ultimately, what's happening here at Quality Hill is not unique, it's not a one-off thing," Woods said. "None of this is okay, and I really think this is the start of a tenant reckoning."
KSHB 41 reached out to the owner of Quality Hill Towers but did not hear back.
