Board approves 2026 Public Housing Authority plan; commissioners debate landlord tax‑status change

The Johnson County Board of County Commissioners approved the county’s 2026 Public Housing Authority (PHA) plan for submission to the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development after a public hearing and extended discussion Friday. The board voted 4–1 to adopt the plan.

The plan, presented by Heather McNeve, housing services director, updates the county’s administrative policies for the Housing Choice Voucher (Section 8) program and describes program goals and recent expansions. McNeve told the board the PHA plan is an annual administrative requirement and an update to the five‑year plan covering 2025–2029.

"It is specific to the housing choice voucher or section 8 housing program," McNeve said, explaining the program’s tenant‑based rental assistance model. She outlined four major goals from the five‑year plan: prioritize extremely low income households (75% target), reach high‑performer status with HUD (already achieved for 2024), expand affordable units for voucher holders and serve more people experiencing homelessness.

Key program details and changes - New and expanded voucher streams: the county is operating a Foster Youth to Independence (FYI) voucher program (started March 2024) and reported it has 19 FYI vouchers in use. McNeve said the county also submitted a registration of interest for HUD‑VASH vouchers for homeless veterans and requested 30 vouchers…