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Affordable Housing in Benton: Three Decades of LIHTC Presence in a Changing Neighborhood
CATEGORY
Affordable Housing
DATA
LIHTC Projects
Median Income
Racial Distributions
Population
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Affordable Housing
LIHTC Projects
Median Income
Racial Distributions
Population
The Benton neighborhood in Independence, Missouri, maintains a small Low-Income Housing Tax Credit (LIHTC) funded affordable housing inventory. The neighborhood contains 6 affordable housing units, all of which are classified as low-income units. Based on the 2022 population of 4,039 and the national average household size of 2.61, the estimated number of housing units in the neighborhood is approximately 1,548. LIHTC funded affordable housing represents about 0.39% of the estimated housing inventory in Benton.
All 6 LIHTC funded units in Benton are three-bedroom units, suggesting a focus on family accommodation. The neighborhood has three LIHTC projects, each comprising 2 units: 500-02 Kansas Avenue, 504-06 Kansas Avenue, and 516-518 East Kansas. All three projects were completed in 1989, indicating that affordable housing has been present in Benton for over three decades. This also suggests that the 1980s was the period of most significant affordable housing development in the neighborhood.
Over the past decade, Benton's population has fluctuated, decreasing from 4,731 in 2010 to 3,199 in 2019, then increasing to 4,039 in 2022. The median income has shown an overall upward trend, rising from $29,751 in 2013 to $36,925 in 2022. This increase in median income may partially explain the absence of new LIHTC projects in recent years.
The racial composition of Benton has changed significantly over the last decade. The white population has decreased from 80% in 2013 to 59% in 2022, while the Black population has increased from 3% to 25% during the same period. The Hispanic population has remained relatively stable, increasing slightly from 4% to 9%.
Benton's LIHTC funded affordable housing inventory, although small, has been a consistent presence since 1989. The neighborhood has experienced demographic shifts, including population fluctuations, increasing median income, and significant changes in racial composition. Despite these changes, no new LIHTC projects have been developed in recent years. The existing affordable housing units, all three-bedroom apartments, continue to serve the community's needs, though they represent a small fraction of the estimated housing inventory.
