Goodland approves boundary for reinvestment housing incentive district, forwards plan to state

The Goodland City Commission on a voice roll call adopted Resolution 2025-01 to define the legal boundary of a proposed reinvestment housing incentive district, a step staff said is required before applying for state housing incentives and tax credits.

City Manager Kent told the commission the request came from a development team led by Connor Hampton and described three parcels included in the draft boundary: a large city-owned parcel near the water treatment ponds and two lots north of Topside Manor. Kent said the city must "send it to the Kansas Department of Commerce, and the secretary decides whether it meets the criteria." He also said the packet included the city’s most recent housing assessment to accompany the submission.

The measure passed after discussion about timing and coordination with grant rounds. Kent explained the next steps if the state approves the district: developers would finalize grant applications for housing tax credits and other programs and the city would provide supporting documentation. "The state has renamed it to a reinvestment housing incentive district," Kent said, describing the program name the city will use in its materials.

Commissioners expressed general support and asked staff to coordinate land-use planning and engineering tied to future grant applications. The vote, taken by roll call, recorded the commissioners present as voting in favor.

The resolution does not itself commit the city to funding; it defines the area so state agencies can determine eligibility for housing and tax-credit programs. The city manager said the timing for state decisions depends on program cycles, with some rounds occurring in the spring and others several times a year.

Next steps: staff will submit the boundary and housing assessment to the Kansas Department of Commerce and report back when the state responds and when developers submit grant applications.