How can the City further encourage smaller-scale, incremental redevelopment in our neighborhoods?

We can use Community Land Trusts, Land Bank overhaul, investment in abandoned properties, infill development (particularly in non conforming lots), supporting small business and entrepreneurial opportunities in our neighborhoods.

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?

Repopulating the urban core is absolutely a critical priority. We have a tax base that does not financially support what we have, and infill development is an essential part of growing. Take the Downtown area neighborhood where I live for example. Over the past number of years we have seen significant growth, but still have a ways to go in order to sustain the services and support that we need. A strong and thriving urban core means a stronger city overall.

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 Affordable Housing Trust Fund should be available to developers who will provide truly affordable housing that includes 30% AMI (Area Median Income). I would love to lobby our state legislature to increase our funding and opportunities for these resources. We also need to explore ways to fund the Affordable Housing Trust Fund moving forward because we can’t afford to have this resource go away.

How do you believe the affordable housing set-aside standards have impacted new housing development? How would you increase affordable housing in Kansas City?

The fact is, when the set aside ordinance took place, multifamily development applications went to zero. This is not anecdotal, this is quantifiable. We amended the set aside ordinance and it has helped, but it still has stifled growth of housing in our city. We are 6800 dwelling units short in Kansas City. We need to keep building at all levels, and not stop one to do the other. I do not believe that crossing the lanes of affordable housing, and market rate housing is a viable option in our current construction climate. I am very excited about things like Community Land Trusts and the Affordable Housing Trust Fund to fund truly, permanently affordable housing in KC. We can subsidize construction costs on multifamily development and be able to offer units at 30-50% AMI. We have a duty to provide affordable housing in our city. Now to find a way to fund the AHTF into perpetuity.

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?

There are a lot of really exciting Transit-Oriented projects in the pipeline, and as I often say, what is the point of building dwelling units if they are not connected to jobs, housing, food, and pharmacy? Expanding transit lines (street car, MAX lines, etc.), lowering parking minimums to allow for denser multifamily builds, and making sure we are building in areas that have seen historic de-investment are all essential for our next steps of growth and creating more walkable communities.

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.)

Supporting a fully staffed police department, CAN centers and CIO’s in the neighborhoods. Encouraging and uplifting plans like KC 360 through KC Common good and working with our CID’s to increase presence and deter crime. Omaha 360 saw a 70% reduction in violent crime and KC 360 is modeled after that plan. We need to be thinking about the causes of crime as well. Blight reduction and re-investment in areas of our city that have been historically de-invested is an important step. We also need more access to stable housing, food, and schools. We just heard the Chief of Police and the Mayor talking about bringing back some elements of the KC Nova plan which saw a marked decrease in crime in our city. There were some admin and equity issues with KC Nova, but some of its parts were successful and should be carried over.

If elected, what issue will define your term?

I want people to be able to say Justin Short always showed up. I made a pledge from day one that City Council will be my full-time job if elected. We might not always see eye to eye, but I will listen, I will be at your neighborhood meetings, I will keep you updated and informed with the happenings at city hall. I will always be accessible and engaging. I want to be known as the type of full-time leader that was about serving the people and not himself. That’s the record of service I want. We have too many problems and too many opportunities on the horizon to leave this work to people who are not committed to the job.