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 […]
housing
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 […]
Posted inLocal Government
The secret sauce behind Wichita’s success in distributing emergency housing vouchers
At the grocery store, pick up barbecue sauce, a jar of spaghetti sauce, elbow noodles and a chicken breast — without the bone. When you get home, boil water for noodles and add some barbecue sauce to the pot, for flavor. Fry your chicken. Pour the noodles into a bowl. Add chicken. Add spaghetti sauce. […]
Posted inLocal Government
Wichita’s latest plan for its single-family public housing units: Sell them all
The city of Wichita outlined a plan to rehabilitate most and sell all of its 352 single-family housing units on Tuesday. The plan would end the city’s public housing program. Most of the proceeds from the sales would go to the city’s new affordable housing fund, which aims to boost affordable housing development. The proceeds […]
Posted inWatchdog
Hurdles too high for some Kansans seeking emergency rental assistance
Sheila Sager doesn’t know if she should pack her bags. Her twins caught COVID. The electric company was threatening to shut off the lights. Her landlord was preparing to sell the house she rented, irritated with her pleas to get his cooperation on rental assistance paperwork. Sager was unemployed and behind on her bills — […]