Kansas City apartment tower to be updated, remain affordable for senior residents

About $580,000 in physical improvements at Kensington Heights Apartments will occur through an investment by the Community Development Trust, a national investor in affordable housing.

The organization is making a $1.8 million equity investment in the nine-story, 126-unit tower that provides low-rent housing for seniors and persons with disabilities. The investment also will help ensure that the apartments stay affordable for at least two more decades.

Around the country, when LIHTC, or Low Income Housing Tax Credits, expire, some developments that have benefited from the tax credits are being converted to market-rate housing or razed to make way for new development. The Community Development Trust infusions help keep that prospect at bay.

The 36-year-old apartment building at 1600 Jackson Ave., is managed by the Millennia Cos., based in Cleveland. Millennia also owns and manages three other affordable housing properties in the Kansas City area.

Renovations at Kensington Heights will include installation of energy-efficient boilers and updates to all community areas in the building.

People qualify for such affordable housing if they earn 60 percent of the area’s median income. Residents at Kensington also have access to a full-time service coordinator who helps them reach and use support services such as transportation.

This story was originally published January 9, 2017 at 4:04 PM with the headline "Kansas City apartment tower to be updated, remain affordable for senior residents."