When the Taliban overtook Kabul in 2021, Qasim Rahimi went into hiding at a neighbor’s house. Meanwhile, U.S. troops withdrew and took nearly 90,000 Afghan evacuees who were in danger of persecution. Rahimi knew he had to leave, too. “I was a journalist and a director in (the) Afghanistan government when the government fell, so […]
housing
Posted inDIY Democracy, Elections, Local Government
Candidates for Wichita City Council answer your questions ahead of general election
Mail-in and in-person voting begin this month. To help voters make their decisions, The Wichita Beacon asked all Wichita City Council candidates to respond to questions submitted by readers. Questions focused on water, policing and housing. City Council Districts 2, 4 and 5 have elections Nov. 7. Only residents within those districts can vote on […]
Posted inHousing
Half of retirees downsize their homes. What should they consider?
What are we going to do with all this stuff?! It’s a question more people confront every day as they or their parents reach retirement age. Approximately 58,000 people aged 65 and older live in Wichita, according to latest census figures. Slightly more than half of these retirees will downsize from their longtime residence, moving […]
Posted inAccountability, Housing
Wichita’s homeless population grows to highest number in 12 years
What is driving Wichita’s homeless population to record numbers? This year’s homeless count recorded 702 homeless individuals, the highest number recorded by point-in-time counts going back to 2011. Homelessness is defined as living in shelters, transitional housing or conditions not meant for habitation, including on the streets. This definition does not include people who may […]
Posted inHousing, Local Government
Wichita’s new task force will address homelessness. Who’s involved and what are their goals?
Update: the location of the meeting has been changed to Hughes Metropolitan Complex, 5015 E. 29th Street N., Room 138. Text in the story has been changed to reflect this. Concerned about the number of unhoused people living in Wichita and what is – and isn’t – being done to help them? A new task […]
Posted inHousing, Wichitans You Should Know
Surviving the winter without shelter: What it’s like for one Wichita couple
Denise and Richard Dodd currently live next to a river in Wichita. We asked the Dodds how they came to live beside the river. This is their story.
Posted inCivic Engagement, Housing
Homeless or fearful of losing your home? Help is available
The United Way’s 211 assistance referral website lists 73 organizations in Sedgwick County providing help for people seeking shelter and housing. These organizations, which rely on a combination of tax dollars, private donations and volunteers, provide a variety of help to all populations.
Posted inEnvironment
How new building codes could help fight climate change
William Davies thinks action on climate change is urgent, and adopting new building codes in Kansas City would be a step in the right direction. “Folks are looking to Kansas City for leadership and we shouldn’t shy away from that,” said Davies, an organizer with the Sierra Club. “We’re not saying that this is the […]
Posted inHousing, Local Government
Kansas has $56 million to help homeowners struggling to pay their mortgage following pandemic
In the first quarter of 2022, the state of Kansas had nearly 10,000 past-due mortgages. Six of 10 of those mortgages were at least three months late and considered seriously delinquent, according to Marilyn Stanley, the program director for the Kansas Homeowner Assistance Fund. A new $56.6 million statewide program funded by the federal American […]
Posted inLocal Government
Rising rents, reluctant landlords complicate housing search for people with rental aid in Wichita
This story idea came from The Wichita Beacon’s Community Engagement Bureau. Learn more about it here. Editor’s note: We updated this story on May 16 to include additional information from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. Norman Doll started looking for a new apartment last year. Doll has advanced heart disease, agoraphobia and […]