Winter 2023 | Breaking Ground:
On the Homefront with Kansas Housing
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If you’re still cleaning up confetti from your carpet and trying to remember to put 2023 on documents, you’re in good company. Closing out the old and bringing in the new is a universal experience that sometimes takes a little time. But we’re in it together!
To celebrate the holiday one year, my family planned a “New Year’s Around the World”. Every hour we’d adopt a tradition from another country, whether it was eating 12 grapes (Spain), smashing old plates (Denmark) or my favorite: strolling around the block with empty suitcases (Colombia). Our neighbors must have thought we were crazy walking around in the freezing dark!
At KHRC, we’re similarly closing out the old and celebrating the new. We’re transitioning from emergency programs to long-term housing development solutions. We’re gathering data, applying lessons learned, and recalibrating the strategic plan.
The year is wide open with soaring potential. Now’s the time. Grab that empty suitcase and let’s take a stroll together… I can’t wait!
- Ryan Vincent, Executive Director
Breaking Ground is a quarterly newsletter from Kansas Housing Resources Corporation (KHRC), the state's housing finance agency. We hope you'll follow along to keep up on the latest Kansas housing news! Update your subscription preferences anytime.
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New State Housing Development Resources. KHRC’s work rolling out the new state housing development resources continues. | |
+ The Home Loan Guarantee for Rural Kansas (HLG) Program launched on Tuesday, January 3, 2023. The program helps financial institutions guarantee the gap under a loan used for land and building purchases, renovation, and new construction costs that may be capitalized or financed within rural Kansas counties. | |
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Five Kansas communities will receive a combined total of $2.4 million to develop affordable housing for moderate-income families in rural areas of the state. The funding, made possible through the state of Kansas’ Moderate Income Housing (MIH) program, provides grants or loans to develop housing and support homeownership programs in cities or counties with populations of less than 60,000.
Combined with the amount leveraged by each community to support the proposed initiatives, the awards represent a total investment of $4.3 million and a net gain of 32 affordable, quality housing units, primarily in the southwest region of the state.
View the 2022 MIH award list online.
This year’s awards will:
- renovate three dilapidated Bucklin (population: 727) homes into rental units,
- help construct four duplex units in Greensburg (778) and Kinsley (1,467),
- provide gap financing for the construction of 16 single-family homes in Liberal (19,025), and
- convert a historic building in downtown Moundridge (2,121) into five rental apartments.
Read more.
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KHRC announced its first awards under the expanded MIH and new KHITC Programs.
Eleven Kansas communities will receive a combined total of $4,998,936 MIH funds and 7,593,000 in Kansas Housing Investor Tax Credits (KHITC). The awards, made possible through the state of Kansas’ MIH and KHITC programs, will provide resources to develop moderate income housing for families in rural communities.
Combined with the amount leveraged by each community to support the proposed initiatives, the awards represent a total investment of $33,845,101 and a net gain of 175 affordable, quality housing units.
View the 2022 MIH and KHITC award list.
Additionally, KHRC is able to allocate KHITC to MIH projects in progress in Augusta, Neodesha, Lindsborg, Holton, and Chanute.
Read more.
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Homeowners in need of assistance encouraged to apply now
Since the program launched in April 2022, the Kansas Homeowner Assistance Fund (KHAF) has provided $34,946,068 to 3,151 households. With a quarter of funds still available, homeowners in need of assistance are encouraged to apply now while funding remains.
“I was stressed and overwhelmed when I got behind on my mortgage payments,” said one KHAF applicant. “With so much going on in my life, I was hesitant to get started applying. However, I learned that the application process was much easier than I thought. My advice to others is to apply now; don’t wait. If you need help, you can always call a KHAF customer service representative.”
KHAF was established with American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funds to help qualifying Kansas homeowners get current on their mortgage payments and avoid foreclosure. Eligible homeowners at least 30 days past-due on mortgage and/or property taxes can receive payment assistance for mortgages, utility bills, property taxes, and other charges associated with delinquency.
For more information and to apply, visit the KHAF webpage. For questions, contact KHAF customer service at 855-307-5423.
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Save the Date! Our 18th annual Kansas Housing Conference will bring together housing professionals from across the state and region to network, learn, and explore the latest trends and innovations in affordable housing as we celebrate KHRC's 20th anniversary! Presenters will offer compliance training for housing administrators, and general sessions will focus on expanding affordable housing opportunities in Kansas.
Join us August 22-24, 2023 at the Overland Park Convention Center!
Stay tuned for Sponsor / Exhibitor Registration and our Call for Agenda Submissions, opening in the coming months! General registration opens this spring.
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Check out our News page for an archive of KHRC News. | | | | | |
