A year ago, we officially launched the Affordable Housing Network Steering Committee, affectionately referred to as the AHNSC by its members. The AHNSC is a 12-person committee and serves as a trusted advisor to Prosperity Now staff to help build, improve and engage the Network toward our mission of a housing system in which people of all races and economic backgrounds have access to affordable, safe and stable housing opportunities. Last summer, we put out a call for nominees for the AHNSC in this very newsletter and were lucky enough to recruit a diverse committee of passionate housing advocates, practitioners and researchers. Over the course of the last year, Prosperity Now staff has had the opportunity to get to know these leaders and we hope to spotlight each and every one of them so you can get to know them as well. This month, we interviewed AHNSC member Kimberly Henderson, the Case Support Specialist at Reconciliation Services in Kansas City, Missouri. 

Reconciliation Services was established over 30 years ago. There are several programs that operate under the protective umbrella of this nonprofit organization. For example, REVEAL provides therapy, case management, and case support services. These services are extended through a trauma-informed lens. Thelma’s Kitchen is a pay-what-you-can café that serves and sells nutritious meals. More importantly, it gifts meals to clients who are enduring food insecurity. Foster Grandparents connects low-income senior volunteers to children who are at a disadvantage. Foster Grandparents volunteer in schools and daycare centers.  

What is your role at Reconciliation Services?  

I am the organization’s housing specialist and serve in a contract capacity. I work with clients to remove barriers to them finding safe affordable housing. Some of these barriers are evictions, utility debt, and lack of adequate financial resources. I also advocate for clients who are housed and in active eviction status or are having maintenance-related issues. I coach clients and colleagues on how to communicate with property owners/managers. I also advise our clients on their rights and responsibilities. I educate them on fair housing laws and information from the Missouri Landlord Tenant Handbook. I assist them in paying housing-related debt utilizing organization resources or by connecting them to our social service partners with available funding. I also serve our neighbors and clients who are homeless and living unsheltered. Meaning they are sleeping in areas not meant for human habitation, such as woods, parking garages, bus benches, and casino bathrooms. I help them to apply for subsidized housing and apply for state entitlement programs such as SNAP, Medicaid/Medicare, and social security disability/retirement benefits. 

Who do you serve in your community? 

We serve individuals and families who live in the greater Kansas City area. Most of our clients reside east of Troost Avenue, in the urban core. Troost Avenue signifies the figurative and literal chasm between prosperity and poverty in Kansas City.   

What tools and resources, etc. have helped make your work a success?  

Training and experience that I gained while being employed as a property/regional property manager. Including an annual fair housing training, Quantitative and Qualitative information obtained through the Census Bureau, National Alliance to End Homelessness, partnerships with local community partners, Prosperity Now, Greater Kansas City Coalition to End Homelessness, and United Way of Greater Kansas City.  

What has motivated you to be a part of the Affordable Housing Network and its Steering Committee?

I was impressed by the work that Prosperity does to ensure that the economy works for everyone. The compassion, intellect, commitment, and tenacity of the staff, volunteers, and professionals aligned with Prosperity Now’s mission. More importantly, I understand that we can do more to increase affordable housing options throughout the nation by combining our efforts, energy, and knowledge. By combining our efforts, we can create sustainable change and a deeper awareness of the issues and resolutions. 

What has led you to do this work?  

I have struggled with housing security before and it did not feel good. The only places that were affordable were apartment communities and single-family homes that were riddled with violence, delayed maintenance, and had questionable reputations. These were places that people with children would mostly avoid because the perils were too great! Ever since then, I made it my life’s work to become involved in the effort to increase, ameliorate, and stop the attrition of affordable housing units by working in the industry, joining with other individuals and agencies, and contributing financially whenever I could. I am deeply saddened when I see human beings sleeping on the streets, residing in uninhabitable apartments and houses, or spending up to 85% of their income on housing costs.  

What drives you to continue fighting for the mission of the Affordable Housing Network, people of all races and economic backgrounds have access to affordable, safe, and stable housing opportunities? 

What drives me is the promise of a brighter future. A future in which all people have a place to call home. A place that is affordable. A place that is safe. A place that is large enough to house the entire family together. A future in which housing providers are attuned to the needs of the tenants. A future in which tenants are not illegally evicted. A future in which housing providers and tenants are in partnership! 

This is the inaugural piece to our new series highlighting members of the Affordable Housing Network Steering Committee. To learn more about the Committee or join the Network, click here.