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Commission accepts $300,000 CDBG housing grant to fund home repairs in target neighborhood
Summary
The commission unanimously authorized acceptance of a $300,000 Kansas Department of Commerce CDBG housing grant to finance owner‑occupied and eligible rental rehabilitation within a downtown target area; the program requires 3‑year liens that convert to grants when program conditions are met.
The City Commission voted unanimously April 14 to accept a $300,000 Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) award from the Kansas Department of Commerce to fund housing rehabilitation within a defined downtown target area.
Michelle Martin, the city’s Community Relations supervisor, described the award and the program design. The grant will support repairs and rehabilitation with a typical project cap of up to $25,000 per property; staff estimated the award could assist roughly 12 homes, subject to eligible scopes and applicant qualification. The target area for the program is bounded by State Street (north), Ninth Street (east), South Street (south) and Broadway (west), as presented in meeting materials.
Martin said the CDBG award requires a soft loan structure: the city places a three‑year lien on each property receiving assistance. If the homeowner (or, for rental projects, the tenant in an income‑restricted unit) remains eligible for the term, the loan is forgiven and effectively converts to a grant. Contracting rules under the program also require contractors to complete federal lead‑safety/work‑practice training; Martin said the city plans to host training sessions (tentatively May 10 in Spanish and May 30 in English) and is working to recruit contractors.
The program allows owner‑occupied assistance and, under additional conditions and matching requirements, work for landlords who commit to renting units to low‑ and moderate‑income households. Martin noted the grant term begins April 30 and runs for two years, and that staff will open applications April 28 to begin intake.
The commission adopted the required certifications and housing plan documents and authorized the mayor to sign the grant agreement and related certifications.
Ending: Staff will open the application window on April 28, host contractor training to ensure an adequate bidder pool and return to the commission with program implementation updates as projects move forward.
