KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Higher costs and higher rents mean both tenants and landlords are struggling to keep up.
"There's a lot of frustration," said Melanie Gray, a member of the Parvin Estates Tenant Union. “How do you expect them to be able to afford, to survive? They can’t.”
Fellow tenant and organizer Karen Blackmon said the worry about money and bills never goes away.
"Oh my God, what's next? Sitting up at night crying. Calling friends and, 'Hey, I'm going to need some support.' But we’re all stressed trying to figure out, you know, where are we going to come up with the money to pay the rent?”
Property owner Stacey Johnson-Cosby feels the pressure of inflation in her business.
"Renters are suffering. We're suffering, too and we have to be mindful that it's a balance," she said. "I'm not this big corporation that doesn't have a name. I am a person."
Johnson-Cosby says costs and taxes don't get any better for property owners.
"So your interest rate's higher, your taxes are higher and the cost of housing is higher," Johnson-Cosby said. "That's not a good market for a builder, that's not a good market for a buyer. So it's just wreaking havoc on everyone."
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