Kansas City's Beacon Hill neighborhood is welcoming 57 new homes after developers cut the ribbon on The Mabion apartment complex at 27th and Forrest, while the same team prepares to break ground on a 101-unit project called Promise Place in the nearby Ivanhoe neighborhood. The two developments mark fresh momentum for affordable housing efforts in neighborhoods east of Troost Avenue that have long struggled to attract investment.
As reported by KSHB 41 Kansas City, the Mabion project received city funding through both the Housing Trust Fund and the Central City Economic Development fund, and Promise Place has secured the same two funding sources. The Mabion is a $19.3 million development financed through 4% Low-Income Housing Tax Credits, state tax-exempt bonds approved by the Missouri Housing Development Commission, and city economic development allocations, according to The Nash Group. Pairing those 4% tax credits with tax-exempt bonds allowed developers to move forward without waiting on competitive annual 9% state credit rounds, the same account notes.
The Mabion and Promise Place are joint projects led by Springfield-based developer Vecino Group and Nash Group LLC, a 100% minority-owned Kansas City firm headed by Dr. Troy Nash, per Metro Magazine. Nash is a former Kansas City councilmember and former Missouri Housing Development Commission member. Both complexes are income-restricted, reserving units for households earning between 30% and 60% of median family income, with rents at The Mabion ranging from $1,046 a month for one-bedroom units to $1,439 for three-bedroom units.
A Name Rooted in Neighborhood Ministry
The Mabion complex was named in honor of Pastor Ray Mabion, a longtime Kansas City civic and faith leader who founded the nearby Bethlehem Kingdom Center on Forest Avenue, according to Faith Horizons. Faith Horizons says Apostle Ray Maybion had served Kansas City since 1984.
Promise Place is planned as a 101-unit affordable apartment complex spread across eight buildings near 45th and Olive Streets in Ivanhoe, per the same Metro Magazine account. In May 2023, the Kansas City Area Transportation Authority designated both developments as Transit-Oriented Communities, siting The Mabion half a block from the Troost MAX BRT line and Promise Place one block from the Prospect MAX BRT line — connections meant to link future residents directly to employment corridors across a RideKC system that operates fare-free across the metro.
City Leaders Say Patience Is Required
City leaders say the new apartment projects help address Kansas City's ongoing need for more housing, and that new construction can provide support for local businesses while turning vacant or blighted properties into active parts of the community, according to KSHB 41 Kansas City. Melissa Patterson Hazley, a 3rd District at-large councilwoman, said correcting the market will take time as projects come to fruition, and that successful developments could persuade banks to take on risk for future projects in the area. Neighbor Whitney Hersh told the station she viewed the development positively.
Neighborhoods east of Troost have experienced historic underdevelopment, KSHB 41 Kansas City reported — a pattern rooted in 20th-century federal redlining policies and restrictive real estate covenants. KCUR has discussed the racial and economic divisions around Troost, along with restrictive covenants.
Funding Surge Follows Voter-Approved Tax Extension
The projects arrive on the heels of a broader municipal funding push. Kansas City officials authorized $24.5 million in funding this summer — combining $16.4 million from the Housing Trust Fund and $8 million in Central City Economic Development sales taxes — to support 16 housing developments citywide, Hoodline previously reported. That package is designed to yield 907 housing units total, over 80% of which are income-restricted, including a separate Midtown redevelopment of the historic Belmont Hotel.
That funding stream is tied to Question 3, a measure put before Kansas City voters. The Central City Economic Development sales tax has generated roughly $99 million and funded affordable housing. Despite new funding and completed units, Kansas City continues to need more housing.
The Mabion's completed 57 units and Promise Place's planned eight buildings represent just a fraction of that need, and questions remain about how quickly the Ivanhoe project will take shape and whether city-backed developments can scale fast enough to meaningfully close the gap. For now, Beacon Hill residents have new neighbors moving into finished units, while Ivanhoe awaits the start of construction on its own 101-unit complex at 45th Street between Olive and Wabash.
