KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Rep. Emanuel Cleaver II (D - Kansas City) announced $1.3 million toward repairs at Independence Towers.
Fannie Mae has provided the monies to Trigild Inc., the court-appointed receiver overseeing property conditions at the apartment complex.
"The powers at be acknowledge there is a problem. Maybe they are starting to see me as a human being," said Diasha White, an Independence Towers tenant.
The funding is in addition to the $425,000 that Fannie Mae provided earlier to address tenant concerns.
Independence Towers was placed in a court-ordered receivership at the request of Fannie Mae earlier this year after the original owner failed to maintain proper living conditions as we have previously reported.
“This needs to catch on and go from one side of the country to the other. It needs to spread like wildfire," said White. "This place is some version of the Texas Chainsaw Massacre and The Hills Have Eyes. If you watch those movies and see those creepy crawlies and vermin... This was an abandoned/condemned type of situation. We were un-housed people who decided to get into a building and make it home, except we pay rent and have leases.”
The funds will go toward pest control, building security, appliance replacements, flooring, interior repairs, painting, and more.
"The fire of concern about living conditions around the nation is still burning with the embers of renters' discontentment. It's imperative that we listen to the growing frustration of renters nationwide and make necessary reforms that ensure every tenant has access to safe, stable and affordable housing," said Cleaver.
On Friday, KSHB 41 met with Fannie Mae representatives who explained the batch of funding was in process before tenants began Kansas City's longest tenants strike on Oct. 1, 2014.
White responded to Fannie Mae's statement, "I don't know how much was in the works before we started striking."
White claims residents hadn't heard much from management, the regulator, and the owner until last week when the building ran out of hot water.
Fannie Mae issued two statements on behalf of Independence Towers and Quality Hill Towers:
Independence Towers statement—attributed to a Fannie Mae spokesperson
"When the property owner at Independence Towers failed to perform repairs at the property, we quickly requested that the Jackson County Court appoint a receiver to address needed repairs. The Court appointed a Receiver in May 2024. Fannie Mae does not own or manage Independence Towers, but as the owner of the loan, Fannie Mae is funding repairs and speaking with the court-appointed Receiver on a regular basis. Since that time, Fannie Mae has provided over $1.7 million for the operations and repairs to the property, including repairs tenants have brought to the awareness of the Receiver and property management company. Fannie Mae remains committed to supporting ongoing work the Receiver needs to complete until the property has been placed into new ownership."
Quality Hill Towers statement—attributed to a Fannie Mae spokesperson
“We share the goal of ensuring Quality Hill Towers is a safe and comfortable place to live. However, Fannie Mae does not own or manage Quality Hill. Sentinel Real Estate Corporation owns and is responsible for all operations and repairs to the property. We are receiving regular updates from Sentinel. Fannie Mae encourages all Quality Hill tenants to reach out to Sentinel directly for any issues with their apartment or their building.”
Fannie Mae's spokesperson told KSHB 41 that it encourages residents to submit maintenance requests through Trigild Inc.
KSHB 41 asked if resident requests to be included in rent cap and ownership discussions were on the table.
Fannie Mae said it has no stake in rent discussions, rather, if residents want their voices to be heard on new ownership, they would need to be in contact with the broker marketing the Independence Tower's building or contact Trigild Inc.
KSHB 41 will continue to follow the KC Tenants Union efforts at Quality Hill Towers and Independence Towers.
KSHB 41 reporter Ryan Gamboa covers Miami County in Kansas and Cass County in Missouri. Share your story idea with Ryan.
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