KANSAS CITY, Kan. -- A trend is shifting in Kansas City, Kansas. More construction is popping up, and community advocates are seeing a new interest in homeownership.
The push right now is keeping KCK affordable.
"We're starting to see increasing pressure in KCK that's always kind of been a lower-cost market," said Brennan Crawford, CEO of Community Housing of Wyandotte County (CHWC).
Crawford said more people are moving to KCK and more renters are shifting to homeownership.
CHWC has helped 500 people become homeowners and has built or renovated 500 homes over the last 20 years.
Crawford said the new trend started blowing up in the past few years.
"I see density increasing in a lot of our downtown neighborhoods, I think that's going to happen. I think that values are going to rise and infrastructure is going to improve. I think businesses are going to relocate to KCK," said Crawford.
Potential homebuyers need the help, especially with an extremely tight housing market in the rest of the metro. The lack of homes across the state line is part of the drive to try out Wyandotte County.
CHWC helps with homebuyer education classes and provides programs that will help pay for a down payment and closing costs.
That's how Esb Gurung's family built their new house last year. The two-story home sits in a neighborhood where CHWC built nearly every house in it.
"I can drive, I got a job, I have a house. I have everything now. It's very good for me," Gurung said.
Reflecting KCK's diverse population, Gurung's family moved to Kansas City, Kansas from Nepal.
Crawford said refugee families are establishing roots and are becoming more likely to buy than rent.
"We feel good!" Gurung said. "This is a nice house. We are excited."
Gentrification is also an issue CHWC is keeping its eye on. Strawberry Hill and the St. Peter's neighborhoods are becoming more attractive, so keeping costs affordable for the people who have lived there for generations is top priority, said Crawford.
"That's the biggest change I've seen over the last three years is just both from people who have lived here their whole lives and from people from all over the world, they see the value in this community," Crawford said.
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