Kansas City Program Helps Low-Income Homeowners Stay in Their Homes

A neighborhood initiative uses a developer tax law to provide property tax relief for longtime residents facing gentrification

Apr. 17, 2026 at 6:36pm

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A brightly colored, high-contrast silkscreen print of a single, iconic home exterior object such as a front door or window frame, repeated in a tight grid pattern to create a modern pop art representation of the community's fight against gentrification-driven displacement.A vibrant, pop art-inspired illustration celebrating the community-driven effort to keep longtime homeowners in their West Side Kansas City neighborhood.Kansas City Today

In Kansas City, Missouri, a neighborhood organization called Westside Housing has found a way to use the state's Chapter 353 developer tax law to provide property tax relief for low-income homeowners facing skyrocketing taxes due to gentrification. The program allows eligible residents earning $81,000 or less to pay just 2.65% of their income in property taxes, saving them an average of over $1,300 per year. While the program has limitations and is set to expire after 25 years, it has so far allowed hundreds of longtime homeowners to remain in their homes and avoid displacement.

Why it matters

Gentrification and rising property values have led to a nationwide housing crisis, with many longtime homeowners in rapidly changing neighborhoods unable to afford the soaring taxes on their homes. This program in Kansas City's West Side neighborhood provides a potential model for other communities struggling with this issue, using existing tax laws in creative ways to help protect vulnerable low-income homeowners from being priced out of their own neighborhoods.

The details

The Westside Housing program takes advantage of Missouri's Chapter 353 statute, which offers tax breaks to developers who improve blighted areas. Instead of just benefiting developers, Westside Housing found a way to apply the tax relief to existing low-income homeowners. Residents must temporarily transfer their deed to a corporation set up by Westside Housing, which triggers the tax break. In return, they pay just 2.65% of their annual income in property taxes, saving an average of over $1,300 per year. So far, more than 300 homeowners have enrolled, and Westside Housing says only about 6 have exited the program, with none having to sell their homes due to high taxes.

  • The property tax increases that prompted the creation of this program began in 2019 after a long-overdue county reassessment.
  • The Westside Housing tax relief program was launched shortly after the 2019 reassessment to provide immediate aid to struggling homeowners.
  • The program is set to expire after 25 years, raising questions about its long-term sustainability.

The players

Westside Housing Organization

A community organization in Kansas City's West Side neighborhood that created and administers the property tax relief program for low-income homeowners.

Barbara Bailey

A longtime homeowner in Kansas City's West Side who enrolled in the Westside Housing tax relief program after her property taxes shot up over 50%.

Michael Duffy

A retired attorney who volunteers with Westside Housing and helped develop the tax relief program.

Joe Hood

The director of operations for Westside Housing, who helped convince residents to participate in the tax relief program.

Susan Opp

A professor at the University of Missouri-Kansas City and an expert on gentrification who discusses the severe consequences for existing residents.

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What they’re saying

“Simply stated, gentrification is involuntary displacement — it's people, whether the renters or homeowners, can't afford or are pushed out of a neighborhood that they don't want to be pushed out of.”

— Susan Opp, Professor, University of Missouri-Kansas City

“We have so many owners in the West Side that are very low income and live in properties that are very high value. That doesn't mean that this homeowner is now making more money and can afford more taxes.”

— Michael Duffy, Volunteer, Westside Housing Organization

“At the end of the day, that deed transfer caused a little bit of anxiety for some people because these homes have been in their families for generations.”

— Joe Hood, Director of Operations, Westside Housing Organization

“I was scared. You can ask the folks there — when I was in my part and signing up, my hand was shaking so bad trying to sign my name. I was scared, but I put my faith in them and God.”

— Barbara Bailey, Homeowner

“So if someone is a homeowner in a neighborhood and they have been pushed out because they cannot afford the property taxes anymore, most of the time it's going to be very hard for that person to be able to purchase another home somewhere else that's comparable or would give them that same life, if you will.”

— Susan Opp, Professor, University of Missouri-Kansas City

What’s next

The Westside Housing tax relief program is set to expire after 25 years, raising questions about its long-term sustainability. Community leaders and policymakers will need to determine if the program can be extended or if new policies are needed to protect low-income homeowners from the effects of gentrification in the long run.

The takeaway

The Westside Housing program in Kansas City demonstrates how existing tax laws can be creatively applied to provide relief for vulnerable homeowners facing displacement due to gentrification. While the program has limitations, it has so far allowed hundreds of longtime residents to remain in their homes and avoid being priced out of their own neighborhoods. This model could serve as an inspiration for other communities grappling with similar challenges.