Celisa Calacal, KCUR 89.3

Celisa Calacal covers Missouri politics and government for KCUR 89.3.

Stories by Celisa Calacal, KCUR 89.3

A "vote here" sign in Kansas City.

Kansas City Election Results: Here’s Your New City Council

By Celisa Calacal, KCUR 89.3 | June 21, 2023

Kansas City Mayor Quinton Lucas won re-election, all but one incumbent was re-elected and seven newcomers were selected in Tuesday's City Council election.

City Hall and the Jackson County Courthouse at the center of the downtown Kansas City skyline.

What’s at Stake in Kansas City Elections? How the City Prioritizes Housing and Development

By Celisa Calacal, KCUR 89.3 | March 10, 2023

The upcoming Kansas City election will add several new members to the Kansas City Council and affect the direction of the city and Mayor Quinton Lucas’ agenda. 

Homes in the Volker neighborhood of Kansas City have become popular for Airbnb and other short-term rentals.

KC Leaving $2M Annually ‘On the Table’ by Not Taxing Airbnbs

By Celisa Calacal, KCUR 89.3 | November 30, 2022

An audit estimates there are more than 1,800 short-term rentals in Kansas City that aren't contributing to the local tax base.

Collage of vacant lots

Vacant Lots, Absentee Owners, Little Accountability. What’s Going on With the Kansas City Land Bank?

By Emily Wolf, The Beacon, Celisa Calacal, KCUR 89.3 | October 22, 2021

The Kansas City Land Bank is supposed to revitalize neighborhoods. But a Beacon investigation found that the Land Bank has potential conflicts of interest between board members and buyers, and fails to hold buyers accountable to its own requirements. The result: Properties sit vacant for years.

Visitors line up at the entrance of the Kansas City Zoo.

Federal Pandemic Program Became a ‘Godsend’ to Kansas City Venues

By Celisa Calacal, KCUR 89.3 | October 12, 2021

Shuttered Venue Operators Grants went to 48 businesses in Kansas City, Missouri, and Kansas City, Kansas, for a collective total of nearly $51.2 million, to help survive the COVID-19 pandemic.

Harvey Nash speaks at a KC Tenants press conference on the group's eight demands to improve Kansas City's rental assistance program.

‘They Need to Make Changes Now’: Local Housing Advocates Demand Improvements to KC’s Rental Assistance Program

By Celisa Calacal, KCUR 89.3 | October 5, 2021

KC Tenants recently released eight demands to strengthen Kansas City's Emergency Rental and Utilities Assistance Program and get money out faster to people in danger of losing their homes.

This home on 3329 Spruce Ave. has been on Kansas City's dangerous buildings list since February 2021. The owner of the property is located in Kansas.

‘Out of Sight, Out of Mind’: Absentee Owners Allow Properties to Become Dangerous Buildings in Kansas City

By Celisa Calacal, KCUR 89.3, Emily Wolf, The Beacon | August 31, 2021

About 21% of dangerous buildings in Kansas City have owners who live outside of Missouri.

Nika Cotton makes a drink at Soulcentricitea, which she opened on Troost Ave. last July. Cotton applied for a grant from the Restaurant Revitalization Fund, but did not receive any money.

In Kansas City, Restaurant Revitalization Funds Flowed to Whiter, More Affluent Areas

By Celisa Calacal, KCUR 89.3 | August 18, 2021

Local businesses received a total of $53 million from the Restaurant Revitalization Fund. But few of those dollars flowed east of Troost.

Rubby Herrera lives in midtown Kansas City, and first applied for rental assistance through the city's program in April. She still hasn't received any assistance, and is now at risk of being evicted next month.

‘I’m Gonna Lose it All’: Tenants Left in the Dark as KC’s Rental Assistance Program Closes to New Applicants

By Celisa Calacal, KCUR 89.3 | July 20, 2021

Tenants who already applied for assistance are still waiting for help, and local nonprofits face challenges in processing applications quickly.

The home on 4401 E. Ninth St. used to be on Kansas City's dangerous buildings list until the Lykins Neighborhood Association acquired the property through Missouri's Abandoned Housing Act. It's now being renovated into a livable home.

How One Kansas City Neighborhood Is Transforming Its Dangerous And Abandoned Buildings

By Celisa Calacal, KCUR 89.3 | June 29, 2021

In northeast Kansas City, the Lykins Neighborhood Association has used Missouri’s Abandoned Housing Act to reclaim abandoned and dilapidated homes and turn them over to rehabbers for renovation. The results have been promising.