The Problem
There are neighborhoods within the urban Kansas City, MO area where the emerald ash borer, disease, and aging trees have impacted the urban landscape. Habitat for Humanity builds homes for people in these areas but does not provide landscaping for the homes. Habitat for Humanity new homeowners are low-income and historically underserved families. Kansas City's urban master plan calculated that, at approximately 31%, the city’s overall tree canopy was only about half of what it could be based upon the available acreage. But with approximately 60% of the city’s trees rated to be in fair or worse condition, the report said, the tree canopy could drop significantly in the coming decades. “Heat islands” are of particular concern for urban areas like Kansas City, where areas of asphalt and buildings can be as much as 7 degrees hotter than outer lying areas during the day. We want to fix the problem of heat islands in urban areas by planting trees.
