By Leslie Collins
Northeast News
March 2, 2011

For the residents of Lawndale Heights Apartments and the Blue Hills, Washington/Wheatley and Ruskin neighborhoods, Feb. 22 was a good day.

That day, Congressman Emanuel Cleaver, II, announced those neighborhoods would receive approximately $1 million in affordable housing grants through the Federal Home Loan Bank of Des Moines Affordable Housing Program (AHP).

A total of 198 homes will be improved.

During the Feb. 22 announcement at Central Bank of Kansas City, Cleaver said he’s not a stranger to subpar housing.

He was born on the kitchen cabinet in his grandmother’s house in Texas and for 7 1/2 years, he grew up in a home without running water, indoor plumbing and working lights. To remind himself of those days, he keeps a picture of that house hanging in his office in Washington, D.C.

“This grant project merits celebration for me because this will help improve 198 homes,” Cleaver said. “One-hundred ninety eight of our friends and neighbors will live in better homes simply because of money awarded.”

The City of Kansas City’s Housing Asset Recovery Program (HARP) and Central Bank of Kansas City received $500,000 to repair and improve homes in the Blue Hills, Ruskin and Washington/Wheatley neighborhoods. Homes in those neighborhoods are 80 to 100 years old. Lawndale Heights Apartments and Union Bank received $477,000 to finish renovations to a 123-unit building, including upgrading the elevator system and replacing every window sill. Lawndale Heights caters to the elderly and disabled, but the current elevator system does not meet proper code requirements.

“We cannot underestimate the psychology of affordable, decent housing. This changes lives,” Cleaver said.

LaReita Boyer, president of the Ruskin Heights Home Association, knows that first-hand.

Several years ago, her home received much needed upgrades through HARP.

“It was fantastic,” Boyer said. “I’m retired and I could have never done everything I got for free. I got new windows, everything.”

A new fence was installed around her yard and her electrical system was updated.

Paired with the new energy efficient windows, she continues to save on her heating costs.

April Cushing, office manager of the Ruskin Heights Home Association, said most of the homes are older and haven’t been updated over the years to meet today’s standards and codes. A number of homes still have fuse boxes as opposed to breaker boxes and electricity voltage is low, she said.

“We still have enough seniors that cannot afford to be updated, so we still have a market for it (home upgrade grants),” Cushing said.

Ellen Cook of the Ruskin Heights Home Association also voiced gratitude for the grant.

“In light of the economy, it’s always a blessing (to receive a grant like this), because you’re in competition with other people who need it,” Cook said. “Everybody’s hurting, so the idea is to make the best of what you’ve got and be a good steward.”