KSHB 41 reporter Grant Stephens covers issues connected to access to housing and rent costs. Share your story idea with Grant.
Volunteers with Habitat for Humanity of Kansas City and the Kansas City Regional Association of Realtors were out in KC's Marlborough neighborhood working to refurbish several homes.
About a hundred volunteers set out to work on eight different homes in the neighborhood.
It's part of the neighborhood's own efforts to keep homeowners in their homes.
Sarah Sommerkamp with the Marlborough Community Coalition says she's seen a steady increase in rental properties over the years, and a decrease in homeownership.
That's a problem for a neighborhood working to improve itself, because several studies show an increase in overall homeownership can lead to a reduction in crime.
But Sommerkamp says many homeowners in the area are essentially forced out when a home's deferred maintenance builds up.
"A lot of our homeowners are older homeowners and so you’re seeing more and more people on fixed incomes … but they’re just not able to keep up with the maintenance as they’re aging," she said.
“They’re putting money towards something that is more important, more critical. Food today versus the roof falling out in a couple of years.”
Valerie Courtney is a prime example. She was ecstatic when she learned volunteers would be helping her tackle some of her home's longstanding issues.
“I’m just so grateful. I just can’t even express that enough," she said.
December will mark five years she's been without her husband. He passed away not long after they moved into the home together. It houses precious memories.
“Well this is where me and my husband lived, you know? There’s a lot of memories here of course and I’m still here and I’m grateful, very grateful," she said. "But this is home to us. This is where we shared memories."
The thought of moving out and away crushed her, but maintenance was stacking up. She made it by but without her husband the cost quickly got away from her.
"It was just at the end where I feel like I couldn’t take anymore.”
Crews helped with her siding, paint, and removed an old dead tree to name a few things.
It makes a huge difference to Courtney, who says now she can plan on continuing to live in the home.
“Oh I love it, I love it," she said. "It’s just going to be so nice when it’s done and I just can’t wait ... I’m blessed to still be able to live here.”
