Sen. Hawley and Mayor Lucas partner in effort to crack down on neglectful landlords
Missouri Sen. Josh Hawley and Kansas City Mayor Quinton Lucas have teamed up on legislation aimed at holding neglectful landlords accountable.
Hawley, R-Missouri, unveiled bill a Monday that would direct the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development to create a comprehensive database of property owners participating in the Housing Choice Voucher program.
The measure would require local public housing authorities to report to HUD any actions it takes against property owners for violations. It also calls for HUD to create a comprehensive list of the violations, a move meant to ensure greater coordination between federal and local officials to identify and punish neglectful landlords.
The legislation comes after revelations of dangerous conditions at TEH Realty’s properties in St. Louis and Kansas City, including reports of mold and rodent infestations. They led to calls for a federal investigation and prompted local public housing authorities to say they would no longer contract with the company.
“In Kansas City and St. Louis—and I saw this as attorney general of the state— we’ve a spate of abusive landlords who are effectively pushing tenants out of their apartments by maintaining substandard living conditions. Tenants often left with no recourse,” Hawley told The Star last month as he was still in the process of drafting the legislation.
“I think there’s a role for the government here, particularly when you’ve got federal tax dollars flowing to a lot of these housing authorities and these landlords. And basically they’re deadbeat landlords. I’ve seen this with my own eyes,” Hawley said. “You look at the conditions that they’re making people live in and they’re still taking their rent.”
Lucas said the bill was a welcome step toward improving federal oversight of landlords
Hawley sought the mayor’s input on the bill. Lucas, whose campaign platform made affordable housing a top priority, met with Hawley and other Kansas City area and HUD officials during a February trip to Washington.
The bill is an unusual collaboration between the conservative Republican senator and the progressive mayor, who has been fielding meetings with Democratic presidential candidates ahead of the Missouri primary.
Lucas, 35, Kansas City’s youngest mayor in more than a century, pointed to his closeness in age with Hawley, 40, the youngest member of the U.S. Senate. He said he’s been gratified by Hawley’s commitment to the housing issue.
“I have been very heartened,” Lucas said of working with Hawley. “I’ll just say this: Every conversation with Sen. Hawley I’ve ever had has been a productive one. He has shown an interest in how do we make Kansas City a better place to live, are we creating affordable housing opportunities for Kansas Citians and how do we make Kansas City safer.”
Lucas and Hawley have plans to conduct a tour of public housing in Kansas City and to hold a forum on the city’s East Side, but the date has not yet been set.
