Building Momentum | 2024 Annual Report

Sometimes building momentum requires chipping away at a challenge. Just ask Renaissance artist Michelangelo, who completed his famous David statue over 500 years ago. The marble block he used to chisel the masterpiece had already been discarded by two previous sculptors due to imperfections; but somehow Michelangelo saw through the challenge. He famously said that, “Every block of stone has a statue inside it, and it is the task of the sculptor to discover it.” Michelangelo discovered his masterpiece one chip at a time.

Our team and partners at Kansas Housing have similarly been building momentum one chip at a time. As we close out 2024, we reflect on the year’s successes and opportunities.

Just like David’s marble block, Kansas’ housing stock is imperfect. Our housing supply hasn’t kept up with the need, and like Michelangelo’s medium, the challenge seems so daunting, impenetrable, and just plain difficult. But like the Renaissance masters of old, Kansas Housing has worked with our stakeholders and partners to start chipping away at the challenge: first with the 2021 Kansas Statewide Housing Needs Assessment, then historic legislative funding, and now record-breaking investments across the state to fund housing solutions.

In this report, you’ll learn about KHRC’s recent successes, explore housing investments in communities rural and urban, and celebrate as we Unlock Home around the state for those we serve.

But we also remember that long-term challenges require sustained, long-term solutions. The underlying housing problem didn’t develop overnight. Similarly, we must keep the momentum going; we can’t stop now. We’re making real headway chipping away at the challenge. Let’s finish the sculpture together. There’s a masterpiece to discover: Home.