By Jodi Fortino, National Public Radio, November 11, 2021
Low-income homeowners are often the target for city code violations. Nonprofits in Kansas City are asking to move away from a punitive code system and toward a restorative one driven by the community.
AILSA CHANG, HOST:
Maintaining a home can be a challenge for anyone, and that is especially true for low-income homeowners who may struggle to meet city standards. As Jodi Fortino of member station KCUR reports, that can lock them into a seemingly endless cycle of code violations and fines.
JODI FORTINO, BYLINE: In hundreds of cities across the country, code enforcement is the primary tool for keeping properties up to a certain standard - things like peeling paint, cracked driveways or overgrown yards. John Baccala is the community liaison for Kansas City's Neighborhoods and Housing Services Department. He says the codes are there for a reason.
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