To pay for more demolitions of blighted houses in the next year, the Wichita City Council added $100,000 to the 2022 building and construction department budget on June 14. The city condemns and demolishes vacant residential properties that it considers unsafe — for example, fire-damaged homes, residences with falling-in porches and unsecured houses. To reduce a […]
blight
Posted inLocal Government
It’s been a year. What has Wichita’s land bank accomplished so far?
In May 2021, the Wichita City Council created the city’s first-ever land bank — a city-owned and operated entity aimed at reducing blight and vacant properties. The land bank aims to acquire distressed properties or vacant lots and rehabilitate them. Its main priorities? Neighborhood revitalization and affordable housing, which are key as home and rental prices in […]
Posted inLocal Government
Condemnations of dangerous and dilapidated houses tripled in Wichita in 2021
There are some houses in Dana Edwards’ neighborhood that catch her eye — boarded-up homes, ones that look like the porches are falling in, abandoned houses. The city of Wichita owns some of them. “They catch your eye because they aren’t in the proper condition of a livable house,” said Edwards, who is the president […]