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City says housing permits lag; RHID tax tool remains central to development plans
Summary
Assistant City Manager Danielle Burke told the Garden City governing body that the reinvestment housing district (RHID) tax-increment tool remains the main driver of housing development while staff data show a shortfall of units compared with recent needs assessments.
Assistant City Manager Danielle Burke presented the annual housing update to the Garden City governing body on Feb. 3, describing how the reinvestment housing district (RHID) tax-increment tool has been used to finance infrastructure for new housing and reporting permit and occupancy counts.
Burke said the city's December 2024 housing assessment indicates Garden City is behind on housing supply and estimated the community faces a shortfall of roughly 4,000 housing units based on recent growth trends. "We are desperately behind where we need to be as it relates to housing," Burke said.
Staff described how the RHID works: taxing entities keep baseline revenues while property-tax increment created as development occurs can be used by developers to pay for streets, sewers and sidewalks that make new housing buildable. The city also uses other tools such as special assessments and commercial-focused incentives, Burke said.
Permit data presented by staff show single-family permits have ranged from about 32 to 52 units in recent years. Multifamily permitting has varied: the city issued no multifamily permits in 2024 but issued 94 multifamily permits in 2022, a figure driven largely by the Hunters Glen quadplex development. Certificates of occupancy issued in recent years ranged roughly from 47 to 60, reflecting the lag between permits and units ready for occupancy.
Burke and staff provided maps showing where RHID areas have been approved, built or are under construction; the presentation included a spreadsheet tracking projects, units tied to each RHID and when projects are expected to roll off and return tax revenue to jurisdictions.
Board and public members asked about specific sites. Nathan Heck asked whether a proposed Sports of the World Star Bond project near the high school would reduce planned residential development; staff said the sports-related portion is being considered for star-bond eligibility and would include softball and baseball fields and associated development land if the state approves the plan.
Burke concluded by noting multiple projects are in the pipeline but said the city remains short of the commission's housing goal and of the annual pace of units staff estimate is needed to meet projected demand. No action was required; the update was received for information.
