Introduction to KC Tenants

My first week with KC Tenants, and my first week in Kansas City, MO, has come to a close. My first three days with KC Tenants consisted of a training of most of the full-time staff and leaders within KC Tenants and affiliated with the organization. The seminars centered around self-interest, power, and situational training, which allowed me to get to know members of the team fairly quickly on a deep, personal level. Overall, it was a great learning experience, but most importantly, it gave me the opportunity to learn why so many passionate and caring individuals decided to join the KC Tenants team. 

 

I see myself fitting in on the team in a variety of ways. Chiefly, we are all interested in providing safe, affordable, and accessible housing to everyone and in organizing tenants to stop the threat of evictions and harassment in the hope for a brighter future for the state of housing both in Kansas City, and broadly, the United States. 

 

The main way I see myself not fitting in with the team, and the community I work within at-large, is the fact that this is my first experience in Kansas City and that I come from a privileged background and institution in New York University. While everyone on the team has been incredibly accepting and accommodating, that factor cannot be ignored, and it is something that is incredibly important to note in my research. I will be interested to see how this evolves in the coming weeks and months while I am in Kansas City. Nonetheless, I am excited that I am able to experience this work with KC Tenants in person because I could imagine this being intensified if I were to have been remotely working for the organization in New York City.

 

I also was able to experience my first team meeting with the North Star Campaign for KC Tenants, which is organizing a collective to install municipal social housing in Kansas City. This meeting is where I reflected on when I should take a step forward in the organization and when I should take a step back. Where I believe I should be taking a step forward is in regards to the data analysis, research, and feasibility of the social housing proposal. When I should be taking a step back is when organizers will be discussing how the current state of housing has negatively impacted their communities and what they hope to win in the future for their communities.  While there are universal experiences and truths regarding housing in the United States, there are inherent unique qualities in every city and neighborhood. These are instances I hope to take a step back, and hopefully, discuss with organizers and tenants as the weeks and months go on to get a better perspective on the lived experiences of tenants in Kansas City.