Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Housing Policy topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Planning commission housing committee hears developers and warns state tax credit cuts may reduce affordable housing production
Summary
The planning commission’s housing committee reported back that a recent developer panel highlighted financing challenges for affordable multifamily housing and warned that a recent reduction in the Kansas state affordable housing tax credit could sharply reduce production.
The Planning Commission’s housing committee reported to the full commission on a study session with multiple developers and one banker that focused on the challenges of financing affordable multifamily housing in Kansas.
The committee said the April 15 meeting included five developers and one banker with experience in multifamily projects in Topeka and elsewhere in Kansas. Presenters told committee members that the industry depends heavily on federal and state tax credit programs to make projects financially viable and that recent state legislative changes reduced the Kansas affordable housing tax credit. One attendee, described in the report as an experienced developer, told the committee he expects the state cut to reduce affordable housing construction in Kansas by roughly 80 percent; committee members presented that figure as a developer estimate shared during the meeting.
Committee members also reported developers look for land already zoned for multifamily and that very little vacant land in the city currently carries that zoning. The committee discussed R4 zoning for manufactured home subdivisions (a limited designation in the zoning code) and the prospect of adapting zoning or processes to make more land available for multifamily or manufactured housing. Committee members said developers praised planning staff and emphasized that local pitfalls are not due to staff performance.
The committee flagged parking requirements as a barrier to multifamily development and noted staff is revising parking regulations. Committee members said the city’s affordable housing trust fund recently received funding but lacks a sustainable revenue source.
Why it matters: Committee feedback suggests financing and zoning availability, not planning staff capacity, are primary obstacles to affordable multifamily production in Topeka, and local policy changes and sustainable funding sources were identified as priorities for future action.
Next steps: The housing committee will continue to meet and discuss multifamily zoning, parking regulations and other code changes; staff will bring materials to future committee meetings.
