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Tenants say landlord didn’t hold up his end of a landmark Kansas City deal.Now they’re organizing..Tenants say landlord didn’t hold up his end of a landmark Kansas City deal.Now they’re organizing.KANSAS CITY, Mo.(KCTV) - Three years ago, Kansas City made history to keep a group of refugees and immigrants in their homes.Wednesday, those same tenants say their landlord didn’t live up to his end of the bargain — and dozens of their neighbors have joined them to demand change.In 2023, KCTV5 reported on an unprecedented agreement between the city and Wiser KC LLC, a company owned by Yisroel Levovitz.The city agreed to pay $450 per month per unit — up to $86,400 total — to subsidize rent for eight households at 135 N.Lawn Ave.while the landlord was required to maintain the property and keep rents at $400 per month.The agreement required the landlord to “maintain the units at 135 N.Lawn in a manner that complies with state and federal law and the City Code of Ordinances” and to “initiate repairs within three business days after initial report, or within 24 hours in the event of an emergency maintenance issue.” Tenants say that didn’t happen.Artemio Tepetlanco and his wife were among the original eight households relocated to 135 N.Lawn under the agreement.Their previous apartment at 138 N.Lawn was in poor condition when the new owner took over and threatened eviction.Their new unit is tidy — an altar near the entrance, carefully kept.But Tepetlanco says when something breaks, he fixes it himself.A rat was chewing through a wall; he boarded it up.He described the roller coaster of emotions in Spanish.A translator assisted.When the previous owner sold, the new owner gave the tenants in the eight occupied units eviction notices.Tepetlanco didn’t know what to do.He has kidney problems.He’s on dialysis.It makes him extremely fatigued.“I was feeling worried at the time,” he said.“I can’t work really well, so we weren’t going to have anywhere else to live.” When the agreement was signed, he was relieved.“Because we didn’t leave and we got the city to support us, and that’s why I’m still here,” he said.Now he’s hearing that the landlord is considering raising the rent again, possibly up to $1,200.A Naing, whose parents — a blind father and a mother on oxygen — are refugees from Burma living in the same building, said the family has gone without hot water for two weeks.The vent above the stove is broken, forcing his mother to leave the small, one-bedroom apartment when anyone cooks.“I’m not happy (to) move here because it’s tiny room,” A Naing said.“First time I live over there, it’s big.” One flight up from their apartments, a stairwell window is broken — the entire bottom section wide open to the outside.Agreement expired.Landlord chose not to renew.The city’s agreement was originally set for two years, running through April 2025.Tenants won a six-month extension, pushing it through February 2026.It has since expired.Kansas City 6th District Councilman Jonathan Duncan said the landlord chose not to continue it.“We stabilized rents for those tenants.The landlord did not follow through on his promises to renovate and improve the living conditions for those tenants,” Duncan said.“Part of our affordable housing plan is to create and maintain affordable housing units and provide tenant protections.This did two out of the three in this agreement.” The agreement’s stated public purpose included “improving neighborhood quality of life, reducing blight and improving public health.” The contract also noted the city “encourages Contractor to remediate the buildings to improve the quality of life for not just the tenants, but for the entire neighborhood.” Plywood boards still cover windows of some of the buildings in the complex.Shattered windows can be seen from the street.A back door was hanging off one of the hinges.One of the buildings, the tenants said, remains vacant.A union grows: 31 units, 94% organized The original eight households have not been alone in their struggles.Across the street, other buildings under the same ownership — 118-132 N.Lawn and 134-148 N.Lawn — have filled with new tenants, most paying up to $1,200 per month with none of the protections the original eight negotiated.Those tenants said they face similar conditions: pests, lack of maintenance, and unsecured exterior doors.As of April 2026, according to KC Tenants, tenants across all three buildings organized together.The North Lawn Tenant Union now represents 94% of the 31 occupied units — 29 households — across all of Wiser KC LLC’s North Lawn Ave.properties.The union also represents 57% of Levovitz’s entire Kansas City portfolio, according to KC Tenants.On Wednesday evening, the union held a rally at 148 N.Lawn Ave., demanding Levovitz meet with them to negotiate.Levovitz has not responded to KCTV5’s request for comment.The outgoing voicemail was generic; no call has been returned.Copyright 2026 KCTV.All rights reserved.Join The Conversation We want to hear what you think.Create a free account to share your thoughts.Read our community guidelines here.