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Wichita approves 2026 voucher payment standards and 2026 agency plan as housing demand outpaces funding
Summary
The Wichita Housing Authority board approved 2026 Housing Choice Voucher payment standards (set to HUD SAFMR zip‑level rents) and adopted its 2026 agency and capital fund plans. Staff warned flat federal funding has reduced families served despite program efforts and proposed preference and administrative changes to improve lease‑ups.
The Wichita Housing Authority board, meeting as part of the City Council session Oct. 7, adopted the 2026 payment standard schedule and approved the 2026 annual agency plan and the 2026–2030 capital fund 5‑year action plan.
Jean Cruzeiro, housing choice voucher program manager, said HUD’s new small‑area fair market rents (SAFMR) require payment standards be set between 90% and 110% of ZIP‑level fair market rents. Staff recommended a schedule that raises payment standards in ZIP codes with active leasing to preserve access and increase leasing success; analysis showed the change would increase overall unit costs by about 3.8% but avoid negative impacts to current participants.
Sally Stang (Housing & Community Services) presented the agency plan and program performance: in 2024 the voucher program assisted 3,821 families (8,423 individuals) with more than $21 million in rental assistance; the average assistance per household was $5,647 and average household income $13,945. Stang noted that level federal appropriations combined with rising rents have reduced the number of families served by roughly 382 since Jan. 1, 2024.
The plans also propose policy updates including clearer tenant paperwork requirements, strengthened rent‑reasonableness procedures, a limited referral‑based homeless preference (cap proposed to increase from 15% to 20% for certain referrals), and a new Home TBRA pilot to house people directly from encampments using one‑time resources. Stang cautioned that prospective congressional cuts to administrative fees could further strain program capacity.
Council and board members asked about outreach, case management capacity and tradeoffs involved in selling public housing assets to fund new initiatives; staff said many sold units have affordable restrictions and proceeds are reinvested. After public comment from service providers and community groups, the board voted to approve the payment standards and the agency/capital plans; staff will submit required documents to HUD.
