Julia Williams
Julia Williams
Editor-in-Chief
On Thursday morning, May 1, members from Jerusalem Farm, The Way Home, Kansas City Community Land Trust (KCCLT) and the Northeast Community gathered at 703 Jackson Ave., within the Lykins neighborhood, to witness the groundbreaking of what will become a four bed, two bath Land Trust-built home.
Jerusalem Farm — a Northeast Catholic nonprofit, which works to assist with housing, among other partnerships, throughout the community — partnered with The Way Home – a Kansas City, affordable housing solutions organization — to advance a land trust home project within the Lykins neighborhood.
What will be KCCLT— a nonprofit organization, which works to provide affordable housing across the metro — and Jerusalem Farm’s fourth Land Trust housing collaboration, it is this Lykins location, which will be the two organization’s first Land Trust project within Northeast Kansas City — Executive Director of the Kansas City Community Land Trust, Kyle Ferden shared Thursday. Facing Lykins Square Park ( East Eighth St.), this new construction will offer an affordable housing option for the Northeast community for the next 99 years, Jessie Schiele, Co Founder and Executive Director of Jerusalem Farm said at the groundbreaking, Thursday.
Ferden shared that a land trust prevents resale price increases of a residence and ensures that out of state investors cannot become owners of that particular home. The location for this land trust home was selected, Ferden said, based on the desirability of the land as it sits on a park-facing corner.
On Thursday, Jerusalem Farm provided refreshments and nourishment for attendees. Original blueprints were additionally available for community members to view the process this land trust home — as well as its project managers — have undergone in the past year.
This collaboration is part of Jerusalem Farms three-step program approach, which includes: Retain, Restore and Raise New.
While part of Jerusalem Farm’s day-to-day operations involve home repair and ensuring residents’ homes remain sustainable, this project fits under its Raise New program.
Ning Haluck, Jerusalem Farm board member, shared that she and her husband Scott, moved to Kansas City from San Francisco, CA to work with Jerusalem Farm.
“It’s great watching the program go from home repair to sustainable housing in the time since I’ve been here,” Haluck said in an interview. She shared she and Scott have worked with Jerusalem Farm since 2016 and are now in their ninth year serving as board members for the program.
“All [these organizations] help those who don’t have a place to call home,” Haluck said in an interview. “This works to assist; I’m proud of J Farm for finding ways to address housing.”
However, this Land Trust project began long before Jerusalem Farm and The Way Home’s involvement. Initial permits and blueprints for this affordable housing model started to take action around June 2024 with Clockwork — a Kansas City architect and design company — Lorac Design Group LLC — a structural engineering company — and COBUILD LLC — a local construction company — who was additionally the contractor on this project, which was originally referred to as “Clockwork Cottage.”
Jordan Schiele, Jerusalem Farm co-founder and executive director shared that Jerusalem Farm and The Way Home joined in collaboration in fall 2024 and plans were finalized between these organizations in January 2025 — it was additionally then when the initial permits and blueprints received an approval response from the State of Missouri.
The groundbreaking ceremony kicked off with a speech from Jessie Schiele. Various other contributors spoke Thursday morning including The Way Home Executive Director Anna White, Ferden and members from the Lykins Neighborhood Association: President Luz Rios and Social Worker Angie Curtis.
While White said that The Way Home, Jerusalem Farm and KCCLT are long-time collaborators focused on providing affordable housing to the Kansas City community, she shared this marks the organization’s first joined account built together.
“I’m excited to learn alongside J Farm,” White said in a speech at the groundbreaking, Thursday. “It’s a ground breaking in many ways; We’re happy to be a part of it.”
With this Land Trust, its lease terms include that it will remain an affordable housing model within the Lykins neighborhood for the next 99 years. For those who lease this Land Trust home, when an owner is ready to sell, as a KCCLT property, it ensures that the seller cannot place the home on the traditional, for profit housing market. Instead, the home will remain “in trust” for 99 years and will require any sale of the home to remain at a restricted price.
“It’s a working partnership that fits in the model for affordable housing,” Curtis said in a speech at the groundbreaking, Thursday. “We (Lykins Neighborhood Association) work with Habitat for Humanity to educate and acquire homes near and around Lykins, in hopes to keep this partnership going.”
Rios shared she has lived within Historic Northeast Kansas City for 33 years, which has allowed her to witness the neighborhood’s housing transformation.
“I’m excited to improve the neighborhood and community and to represent the community,” Rios said in a speech at the groundbreaking, Thursday. “I’m sure they’re excited too.”
While Jordan Schiele shared the organizations don’t currently have an exact expected completion date for this Jackson Avenue Land Trust home, their goal is to finalize construction within the year.
For additional information on this Land Trust Home or on KCCAT, visit: https://www.jerusalemfarm.org/s/homeowner?language=en_US, https://www.kcclt.org/.
Dorri Partain
-
