Andrea Bough, 6th District At-Large
Read the candidate’s responses to our questionnaire below:
How can the City further encourage smaller-scale, incremental redevelopment in our neighborhoods?
The City needs to make the process(es) easier and make land bank and other underutilized and vacant property owned or under the control of the City more readily available to smaller developers.
In the 1940 city limits, we have half the population we used to have. Do you believe repopulating the urban core is a critical priority?
Yes.
Many developers planning to offer affordable housing are experiencing financial gaps in their capital stack, hindering their ability to proceed with construction. Kansas City has built the Affordable Housing Trust Fund to help close this gap. Does the fund adequately address developers’ concerns? If not, how would you address this issue?
The Housing Trust Fund is only part of the answer. And, it is not funded at the level necessary to fully meet the City’s affordable housing needs. The first step I would take is to update the 5-Year Housing Policy to reassess our needs and prepare a plan that considers our currents conditions.
How do you believe the affordable housing set-aside standards have impacted new housing development? How would you increase affordable housing in Kansas City?
I do not think the set-aside ordinance has resulted in a significant number of units compared to the Housing Trust Fund. I would come up with a plan for how many multi-family units (1, 2 and 3 bedroom), single family houses of varying sizes, and develop and target our policies and funding sources to fulfill our needs.
Transit-oriented community (TOC) projects create compact, walkable, pedestrian-oriented, mixed-use communities centered around high-quality transit systems. This development approach alleviates concerns your constituents may have about accessing services and the cost of living. How would you promote and support providing transit-oriented community developments to Kansas City residents?
Transit-oriented community development is something many areas of the City and the 6th District want to see and are seeing. I would also support bringing mixed-use communities centered around transit systems in other areas of the 6th District through extensive neighborhood engagement.
Crime is affecting Kansas City’s reputation on a national scale. While violent crime makes the headlines, an increase in property crime is impacting our residents and businesses. What are some specific and measurable ways with which you would address crime? (We are looking for your concrete ideas, not general positions on funding or philosophy.)
I firmly believe we must address crime through violence prevention and intervention. The Council, through the leadership of CW Parks-Shaw recently allocated $30 million over 5 years to fund the KC Blueprint for Violence Prevention which takes a public health and multi-sector approach. Additionally, KC 360 is a program that was recently started by KC Common. By engaging community partners and agencies that are involved in violence prevention, areas can be targeted to intervene and prevent crime. By providing alternative activities for youth, violence in other cities have reduced. Implementing these programs through the City and it’s partners include youth employment, neighborhood engagement and improving the neighborhood lived environment through trash and bulky item pick up, redeveloping vacant buildings and improving infrastructure.
If elected, what issue will define your term?
Affordable, stable housing and equitable and sustainable development.
YES/NO Questions:
Should a third-party "but-for" financial analysis be required to receive tax incentives in KC? | Yes |
Do you believe the City should be building and owning housing? | Yes |
Do you support the recent ordinances that allow ADUs and more flexible development on infill lots? | Yes |
Do you believe urban core development to be more difficult and expensive than "greenfield" development? | Yes |