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January 12, 2022

I’m a single mom and a social worker. My kids and I have lived in our Topeka apartment for several years, and we absolutely love our home. It’s not just the apartment itself we love, it’s also the neighbors and community that have come to feel more like family.

Due to hardships both personal and COVID-related, I recently lost my job. All of a sudden, one of my biggest fears was staring me in the face. I was about to lose the stability and security my kids depend on to thrive. I felt like a failure with no family or safety net to fall back on.

I’ve dedicated my life to working in the human services field and helping those in need daily. But I had become one of those in need. After fretting and obsessing for weeks, my amazing landlord called me with information about this program that could help with rent. No way will I qualify, no way will they be able to cover all that I need, this just sounds too good to be true, I thought to myself as I hopelessly completed the application.

A few days later, I got a call from the KERA customer service team. Ashamed and embarrassed, I answered the call and began explaining my situation. To my surprise, the woman on the other end of the line was not judgmental or cold at all. In fact, she was the complete opposite! She had this warmth and kindness in her voice that I will never forget. She told me it would be okay and that she would do her best to get me approved.

For the first time in almost a month, I sat down…and took a breath. I wanted to reach through the phone and hug this woman! I wasn’t just some case number on a form, I was a human being. Just then the shame I felt started to melt away. But more importantly, the fear started to melt away. For the first time, I felt hopeful. A few months later, KERA fully paid my past-due rent.

Of course, the panic started to set in again when I still hadn’t found employment and thought KERA had covered my final month of rent at that point. What am I going to do now? I’m so close, yet so far away. I still lead a busy volunteer schedule, coaching Sunflower Soccer and flag football, serving as PTA treasurer and room parent at the elementary school, and running the district’s fall fundraiser. I kept getting up, day after day, helping those I could, while panicking on the inside about how I was going to help myself.

When I received an email about reapplying for an additional three months of KERA assistance, I felt a hope I couldn’t put into words.

Suddenly, I had a vision of my family succeeding again. The KERA program gave my kids their home back. it gave this exhausted, ashamed, feeling-like-a-failure, mom her life back. You gave us a chance to get back on our feet. This is how a community thrives — not by kicking each other when we’re down, but supporting those is need and believing in them when they forget how to believe in themselves.

God bless you KERA staff! You all are angels!

Forever grateful,
Allyson, Jaydyn, Jenna, Brielle and Kalem

Editor’s Note: Once an applicant’s KERA dashboard status reads “Payment Sent,” the household is eligible to recertify for an additional three months of prospective rental assistance at a time, for a total of 15 months. Applicants will receive email reminders to reapply after payments are sent with the these instructions to complete the process.

January 4, 2022

Wichita nonprofit director Moniqueka Holloway and Topeka attorney Jonathan Small have begun serving on the Kansas Development Finance Authority (KDFA) and Kansas Housing Resources Corporation (KHRC) board of directors, KDFA president Rebecca Floyd and KHRC Executive Director Ryan Vincent announced. The new members were appointed by Governor Laura Kelly and confirmed by the Kansas Senate Confirmation Oversight Committee last year.

“Moniqueka and Jonathan join our boards during a time of tremendous growth and opportunity,” Floyd said. “We look forward to their vision and leadership as we respond to the needs of Kansans.”

“We’re so pleased to welcome Moniqueka and Jonathan to our team,” Vincent said. “Their leadership, experience, and commitment to public service will be tremendous assets as we work to ensure that all Kansans have the safe, affordable housing they need and the dignity they deserve.”

Moniqueka Holloway currently serves as Senior Director of Compliance and Quality Improvement at Heartspring, a Wichita service provider for children with special needs and developmental disabilities. Prior to her time at Heartspring, Moniqueka served for 10 years as Wichita State University’s National Institute for Aviation Research (NIAR) Federal Contract and Compliance Manager, where her duties included drafting, reviewing, and negotiating contracts and grants; ensuring compliance with state and federal laws and regulations; and generating and reviewing internal budgets to align with contractual obligations. A passionate community advocate and lifelong Wichitan, she previously worked with Big Brothers Big Sisters and Wichita Kenworth, Inc. She holds a Bachelor’s degree from Wichita State University and a Master’s in Business Administration from Southwestern College. Moniqueka replaces Scott Anderson, whose term ended last year.

Jonathan Small brings more than four decades of legal, public, and military service to the board. He has served in private practice and with the Kansas Office of Attorney General, with previous roles as Assistant Attorney General and Deputy and Chief Deputy Attorney General. His areas of expertise include corporate law; legislative/governmental relations and operations; municipal bond/tax-exempt securities law; and state and federal agency and administrative law. A former member of the U.S. Army Reserve and National Guard, he previously served as Brigadier General and Acting Adjutant General of Kansas. He is a graduate of Kansas State University, Washburn Law School, the U. S. Army Command and General Staff College, and U.S. Army War College. Jonathan replaces former board member Nancy Toelkes.

Suchitra Padmanabhan serves as Chair of the KDFA and KHRC boards and was reappointed this year, becoming the first board member in the group’s history to serve three terms. A certified financial analyst, she currently works for BC Capital, where she created an asset management platform for fixed income investments and provides advisory services to private equity funds. Previously she served with Security Benefit Group, Deutsche Bank, and Lehman Brothers. She holds degrees from Dartmouth College and the University of Chicago.

Chris Donnelly, a banking executive from Tonganoxie, was reappointed for a four-year term. He recently retired as president and CEO of the Bank of the Prairie in Olathe and has held executive leadership roles with Country Club Bank of Kansas City, Mo., First State Bank and Trust of Tonganoxie, First Security Bank of Overbrook, and Home State Bank of Hobart, Okla. He is a graduate of Oklahoma State University.

Hays banking expert Alan Deines was appointed to the board in 2020 and continues his service.

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Kansas Development Finance Authority is a statewide, multipurpose finance corporation that works with the state and other public and private entities to identify and structure efficient finance transactions.

Kansas Housing Resources Corporation is a self-supporting, nonprofit, public corporation committed to helping Kansans access the safe, affordable housing they need and the dignity they deserve. KHRC serves as the primary administrator of federal housing programs for the state of Kansas and is governed by the KDFA board of directors.

December 29, 2021

As we wrap up the holidays and tie a bow on 2021, we at KHRC celebrate the nearly $80 million in KERA funds that provided the gift of home to 33,951 residents of 13,000 Kansas households this year.

Eligible KERA applicants that became homeless after applying have also found temporary and permanent housing solutions through KHRC’s Bridge to Housing Stability (BHS) initiative. BHS organizations across the state have been given $7.3 million in KERA funds to provide hotel and motel vouchers, case management, and rapid rehousing solutions to these households. Thanks to BHS, one family was able to receive the gift of home right before Christmas.

When her 18-year-old daughter was diagnosed with COVID and later contracted a muscle disease that racked up outrageous hospital bills, a single mother in the Manhattan area applied for Kansas Emergency Rental Assistance (KERA) funding to help with rent. While awaiting KERA funding, the family found temporary housing through a social service agency to cope with the financial hardship.

On December 14, 2021, the family ran out of funds to continue living at their extended-stay hotel. After looking into the status of their KERA application, the family discovered their application had been closed due to login issues and an address change.

That day, the family’s social service agency reached out to a case manager at The Manhattan Housing Authority (MHA), one of KERA’s Bridge to Housing Stability partners, for further assistance. MHA contacted the KERA team to help the family finish their KERA application, and noted the family was experiencing homelessness. The KERA team then reopened the application, corrected it, and submitted it for review. By the end of the day, MHA was able to use to use BHS funds to secure the family in a new two-bedroom home with all bills paid until KERA funds became available.

This story represents just one family that’s been helped this year. We can’t wait to help thousands more in 2022! KHRC wishes you a happy new year!

December 22, 2021

Kansas Housing and the state’s Office of Rural Prosperity announced the results of the state’s first comprehensive statewide housing needs assessment undertaken in nearly 30 years. The report’s release marks the culmination of a year-long project to evaluate current housing needs and growth opportunities, including goals to guide future housing development efforts.

“We’re so pleased to have the data we’ve long needed to chart a path forward in addressing our state’s housing needs,” said Ryan Vincent, Executive Director of Kansas Housing. “With these recommendations in hand, it’s time for state and local leaders to work together to implement our shared goals and expand quality, affordable housing across the state.”

RDG Planning & Design, which has coordinated a number of community housing studies across Kansas, conducted the in-depth study over the past year. Analysis included a series of 71 virtual and in-person listening sessions with nearly 1,000 community participants across the state, as well as meetings with housing stakeholder groups. Consultants conducted a statewide survey of more than 4,400 respondents and analyzed census data to develop a comprehensive picture of the state’s housing needs, current resources, and growth opportunities.

The final step of the assessment process included a statewide tour of nine in-person and virtual community presentations in late November and early December. The tour attracted approximately 450 participants, exploring regional findings and inviting feedback to incorporate into the final report.

The study revealed several key goals to address future housing needs:

Prioritize middle income housing
Diversify housing stock
Extend housing security
Reinvest in older housing stock, including vacant units
Address the building trades labor shortage
Extend existing human capital resources

State leaders stressed that no one entity will be responsible for implementing the recommendations. Rather, the study’s goals will be achieved through collaboration between state and local leaders, the public and private sector, and community and economic development groups.

To learn more about the assessment and view the final report, visit the Kansas Statewide Housing Needs Assessment webpage.

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Governor Laura Kelly and former Lieutenant Governor Lynn Rogers created the Office of Rural Prosperity (ORP), a nonpartisan initiative established in part to ensure that rural Kansas is heard and represented in the statehouse. The ORP aims to streamline rural policy while focusing on the issues that matter to rural Kansans. During the ORP’s 2019 and 2020 statewide listening and action tours, housing was brought up by leaders in every region of the state as a vital component of recruiting and retaining workers, families, and entrepreneurs to help rural Kansas thrive.

Kansas Housing Resources Corporation (KHRC) is a self-supporting, nonprofit, public corporation committed to helping Kansans access the safe, affordable housing they need and the dignity they deserve. KHRC serves as the state’s housing finance agency, administering essential housing and community programs to serve Kansans.

December 17, 2021

Eight Kansas communities will receive a combined total of $2 million to develop affordable housing for moderate-income households. The funding, made possible through the state of Kansas’ Moderate Income Housing (MIH) program, provides grants or loans to develop housing and support homeownership programs in cities or counties with populations of less than 60,000.

Combined with the amount leveraged by each community to support the proposed initiatives, the awards represent a total investment of $20.6 million and a net gain of 83 affordable, quality homes for rural communities across the state.

This year’s awards will help convert a historic school building into rental apartments in Hays, fund infrastructure and construction of 24 homes in Salina, and provide down payment assistance for new homeowners in Meade and Lincoln County, among other initiatives. See the complete 2021 MIH award list online.

The MIH program is the state’s sole housing appropriation from the Kansas Legislature. Kansas Housing administers the MIH program at no cost to the state. The Legislature allocates funding on a pass-through basis, and Kansas Housing manages the competitive application and award process.

With a 2021 MIH budget of $2 million, Kansas currently allocates roughly $.69 per citizen to housing. This year’s MIH award cycle included 28 applications requesting a total of $8.7 million in assistance. Each award is limited to no more than $400,000 per community.

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A self-supporting, nonprofit, public corporation, Kansas Housing helps Kansans access the safe, affordable housing they need and the dignity they deserve. KHRC serves as the state’s housing finance agency, administering essential housing and community programs to serve Kansans.

November 23, 2021

A year-long comprehensive statewide housing needs assessment—the first of its kind undertaken in 27 years—is nearing completion, and Kansans are invited to learn about preliminary findings in a series of regional community meetings. The study identifies current housing needs and growth opportunities, including goals to guide the state’s future housing development efforts.

“For too long, Kansas has operated without a strategic focus to guide our housing investment, hindering our state’s economic development,” said Ryan Vincent, Executive Director of Kansas Housing Resources Corporation. “With this information, we can develop a data-driven approach to support growth and benchmarks to track our progress.”

RDG Planning & Design, an Omaha-based consultancy, conducted the in-depth study over the past year. Analysis included a series of 71 virtual and in-person listening sessions with more than 425 community participants across the state, as well as meetings with housing stakeholder groups. Consultants conducted a statewide survey of more than 4,400 respondents and analyzed census data to develop a comprehensive picture of the state’s housing needs, current resources, and growth opportunities. These findings revealed several key goals to address future housing needs:

Prioritize middle income housing
Diversify housing stock
Extend housing security
Reinvest in older housing stock, including vacant units
Address the building trades labor shortage
Extend existing human capital resources

Kansans are encouraged to learn more about the study’s results and how their communities can expand housing opportunities by participating in upcoming regional sessions. The full report and recommendations will be published online following the statewide tour. Join KHRC’s mailing list and select “Housing Needs Assessment 2021” to be notified when the full report is available.

Statewide Housing Needs Assessment Results Tour

Monday, Nov. 29: Northeast
- 5:30 p.m. – Sunflower Foundation, 5820 SW 6th Ave, Suite 400, Topeka
Tuesday, Nov. 30: Kansas City Metro
- Noon – Matt Ross Community Center, 8101 Marty, Overland Park, KS
- 5:30 p.m. – Memorial Hall Ballroom, 600 N 7th Street Trafficway, Kansas City
Wednesday, Dec. 1: Northeast – Atchison
- 5:30 p.m. – USD 409 Community Room, 626 Commercial, Atchison
Tuesday, Dec. 7: North Central
- Noon – Salina Annex Meeting Space, 120 West Ash Street, Salina
- 5:30 p.m. – BriefSpace, 219 W 10th St, Hays
Wednesday, Dec. 8: Western
- Noon – Safe Child Center, Western Kansas Child Advocacy Center, 212 E. 5th St, Scott City
- 5:30 p.m. – Boot Hill Conference Center, 4100 W. Comanche Ave., Dodge City
Thursday, Dec. 9: South / Southeast
- Noon – Derby Public Library Community Room, 1600 E Walnut Grove, Derby
- 5:30 p.m. – Holiday Inn, 3401 Blue Comet Drive, Chanute
Monday, Dec. 13: Statewide Virtual Event
- Noon – Register via Zoom

The state’s housing study was funded and administered by the Kansas Department of Commerce’s Office of Rural Prosperity (ORP) and Kansas Housing Resources Corporation (KHRC), the state’s housing finance agency. The Office of Rural Prosperity’s Housing Work Group, an interagency team of state leaders led by KHRC Executive Director Ryan Vincent, identified a needs assessment as a crucial first step in addressing the state’s housing needs and priorities, particularly in rural and underserved areas. KHRC and ORP selected RDG to lead the study through a competitive RFP process.

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