Renters at Bowen Tower Apartments in Raytown are ending a four-month rent strike after court battles with their landlord resulted in a signed agreement Wednesday night, tenant union organizers say.

Why it matters: Tenant unions are growing in strength and number across the U.S. as increased rents and deferred maintenance pit renters against property owners.

Catch up quick: Bowen Tower renters began organizing in May when they say their rents increased amid hot water issues, flooding, broken heating and cooling systems, and broken elevators.

• When tenants began withholding rent in October, landlord Charles Hill of Alta/CGHS Real Estate filed to evict. Jackson County courts threw out some cases and awarded rent cancellations in others, leading to renewed negotiations earlier this month.

By the numbers: Organizers say renters withheld $110,000 in rent payments, and more than $45,000 of that debt was canceled.

What's inside: The signed deal includes stabilized utility rates and rent prices, ranging from $740 for a studio apartment to $1,113 for a three-bedroom, according to organizers.

• Alta/CGHS agreed to cancel all evictions, rescind lease non-renewals and fix building issues including mold, bugs, security systems and HVAC issues in one to two months.
• Organizers say both sides negotiated in good faith, and payments will resume in February.

What they're saying: "We at the top of the hill. We just want to stay up here," Cynthia Barlow, leader of the Bowen Tower Tenant Union, tells Axios. "We just want to live fair."

• "This represents an example of what tenants can do and what tenants can win when they come together," KC Tenants organizer Justin Stein says.

Alta/CGHS Real Estate did not respond to Axios' request for comment.

Zoom out: Organizers in Chicago are launching multiple rent strikes as rising prices there outpace the rest of the country.

• Legal campaigns in cities from St. Paul, Minnesota, to St. Petersburg, Florida, aim to give tenants more options with repairs and evictions.
• In New York, a tenant voter bloc helped elect Mayor Zohran Mamdani, who ran on renter protections.

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Kansas City's Black history lives in music halls, libraries, art studios, and community spaces throughout the metro. Here's how to celebrate Black History Month across the city.

Things to do

📕 Feb. 1–28: Black History Month at the Kansas City Public Library

• All nine branches have a calendar full of events this month, from film screenings at the Central Library's Durwood Film Vault, a signature author event with Imani Perry, history talks and hands-on activities for kids and teens.

📚 Black History Month Challenge

• The Kansas City, Kansas Public Library is hosting a self-guided reading and activity challenge that encourages participants to explore Black history through books and library resources. It's open to all ages.

🎨 Feb. 7: Reclaiming the Canvas | A Tribute to 100 Years of Black History Month

• The event brings KC poets, musicians, dancers and visual artists to Zhou B Art Center for a one-night celebration honoring Black artists.

🎬 Feb. 20-21: Reel Black Film Festival

• Kansas City PBS brings its annual Reel Black Film Festival to the historic Gem Theater and the American Jazz Museum at 18th & Vine. The festival highlights films by Black filmmakers and stories connected to Black history and culture.

🍽️ Feb. 21: Black History Luncheon

• The Black Archives of Mid-America hosts its annual luncheon, which honors Black leadership and community impact in KC.

Where to visit

✈️ A first since 1974: A new hotel could be coming to KCI land only a stone's throw from the terminal. The $41 million, 165-room design is called Stealth Hotel — and kind of even looks like a stealth jet. (Kansas City Business Journal)

🍽️ Two restaurants closed: Story in Prairie Village and Plate in Brookside, although Plate's Leawood location remains open. Bōru Asian Eatery in Waldo will also close at the end of February. (The Pitch)

• La Fonda El Taquito along Southwest Boulevard downtown is also closing for good on Jan. 31. (KCUR)

🪧 Some businesses are closing today in coordination with nationwide ICE protests, with one demonstration scheduled for 3pm at the National World War I Museum and Memorial. (Kansas City Star)

Kansas City's unemployment rate was higher this past November than a year prior, tracking roughly with the rest of the nation, per new federal data.

The big picture: Unemployment rose year over year in nearly 260 metros, fell in 100, and stayed flat in about 30, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Zoom in: Kansas City's unemployment rate (3.7%) stayed under the national rate during that time, but rose slightly faster (+0.4 percentage points versus +0.3).

Between the lines: The federal government, which employs nearly 30,000 people locally, saw major cuts last year to agencies including Veterans Affairs, the IRS and the Social Security Administration.

Zoom out: Among metros with at least 1 million people, the unemployment rate rose as much as 1.6 percentage points (Jacksonville) and fell as much as 1 percentage point (Denver).

• More current national-level data from December shows the U.S. economy adding 50,000 jobs. The unemployment rate was recorded at 4.4%.

The November metro data was delayed and otherwise affected by the government shutdown late last year.

• Federal workers affected by the shutdown were counted as employed, BLS notes — adding that it's "not possible to precisely quantify the effect" of the shutdown on the data overall.