This morning, Prairie Village 4 All was covered in the Kansas City Star. The article reaffirms the link between diversity and attainable housing stock, responding to how the opposition is spreading misinformation.
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From the Kansas City Star article "Recommendations for more affordable, diverse housing divide Prairie Village neighbors":
‘WE WANT TO HAVE A PRODUCTIVE CONVERSATION.’
During a Nov. 7 city council meeting, some members of the group aiming to stop rezoning pushed back against claims that attainable housing options would make the city more diverse and help more people afford to live in Prairie Village.
Jori Nelson, a former city council member and vocal member of the group, told city council members that claims the recommendations would increase attainability and diversity were unfounded because city leaders couldn’t determine homes prices and rents or screen the residents who lived there.
However, housing experts say that varied housing options do, in fact, lead to more diverse neighborhoods. They point out that the prevalence of single-family homes played a major role in creating the housing affordability crisis and contend that residential zoning laws, both in Johnson County and across the country, were enacted with racist and classist roots.
Some residents said diversity efforts are in vain because, they believe, Prairie Village is already diverse and inclusive. Census data shows the city is 91% white with an annual median household income of $88,196.
“You are elected by the property owners,” one resident told the council. “You are not elected by the middle income, blue collars, seniors, young professionals, who have a desire to move into the area.”
Terreros, who is also a Democratic committeeman for Prairie Village, believes the homeowners’ concerns are overreaching. Property rights, he said, allow homeowners to do what they want with their land, not police potential development near them.
“If people say ‘Oh well, they’ll put up an apartment building right next to your house,’ OK,” he said. “That meets multiple goals in my mind. It lets more people live in Prairie Village, which I think everybody should live in Prairie Village.”
Martin and Terreros fear the stop rezoning advocates’ numbers and anger will lead the planning commission and city council to listen to the loudest voices in the room rather than fully consider the recommendations for more housing options. She said she fears asking other community members to speak out at public meetings because they too could face sharp criticism.
Martin first spoke up about the issue because she was concerned about housing rights and options in Prairie Village, the place she loves and now calls home. But the response has forced her to see another, less positive side of her community.
“We want to have a productive conversation,” she said. “The other side has made it very clear like ‘we want to shut everyone down.’”