In the aftermath of the George Floyd murder and the rise of the Black Lives Matter movement, Alan Edelman and Debbie Sosland-Edelman, with the encouragement and support of Rabbi David Glickman and Beth Shalom leadership, established a Social Justice Committee.
The group spent a year learning from local Black leaders to determine what could be done together to strengthen the relationship between the two communities through learning, advocacy, and action.
After much time and research, they concluded that one of the best ways to strengthen those ties was to help provide affordable homeownership opportunities to low-income families otherwise stuck in the rental cycle of substandard housing and constant moving, never planting roots or building equity in a home of their own.
About a year ago, the committee contacted Larry Myer and his nonprofit, Tikkun-KC, about partnering with Beth Shalom and their mutual interest in providing affordable housing throughout the Kansas City urban core. The Beth Shalom Social Justice Committee named the project "Shalom Homes," and the work began. Edelman has since joined the Tikkun-KC board and through his contacts and energy has moved this project from concept to reality.
Tikkun-KC is a Missouri 501(c)3 nonprofit that goes into blighted neighborhoods in Kansas City, acquires and renovates abandoned homes, and sells them to vetted low-income families through their special financing programs.
Larry Myer, Tikkun-KC founder and board president, stresses that the only way to cure neighborhood blight, crime and improve the quality of life in neighborhoods is to promote homeownership.
Completed houses are back on the tax rolls, generating much-needed tax income for Jackson County, and are off the demolition list, where the cost for the city to demolish is $10-12,000 per house or more.
Tikkun-KC also has a construction mentoring program where they hire and train folks from the neighborhoods they are working in. The interns work with Tikkun's experienced tradesmen and get hands-on, real-world experience and training while working on the project houses. The first “graduate" is now a full-time worker on one of Tikkun-KC's construction crews.
Recently, members of the Beth Shalom Social Justice Committee visited a Tikkun KC completed home. The home was purchased by a family that had gone through a nationwide homeownership program called NACA (Neighborhood Assistance Corporation of America). The new family moved in on May 6.
The new owner and the Beth Shalom contingent met at the house this spring. The owner shared the two-year process required to complete the homeownership program and her excitement of finally owning her own home.
Beth Shalom has raised enough money to renovate one home and is on its way to securing the funds necessary to acquire and renovate a second home.
Those interested in more information or to get involved can contact Alan Edelman at or Larry Myer at .
