Affordable Housing Fund Housing Authority Home Purchase

At a glance

Based on auto-generated captions; names and details may be misheard.

What: An update to the Affordable Housing Fund program plan so the city can buy the 21 remaining unsold single-family homes from the Wichita Housing Authority and keep them as affordable rentals.
Where it stands: Approved 7-0 on October 20, 2026.
Next: Property closings are expected in 2027, after which the homes go to developers through a competitive request for proposals. Staff are working with finance on a gap in certified expenditure authority.

Presented by Carmen Hoffhine (Housing and Community Services).
Background: the city received about $72.4 million of American Rescue Plan Act funds in 2021 and set aside $5 million for the fund. The plan and ordinance were approved in April 2022; the latest update was August 2025.
Cost: acquisition about $1,569,000 plus up to $50,000 carrying costs, total $1,619,000. Council authorized up to $1,597,351.
Selected developers may get up to $40,000 per property for acquisition and rehab, and the homes must stay subsidized rentals (project-based vouchers or housing choice voucher participants only).
Expenditure authority: the 2026 certified limit is $1,597,351, but the 2027 limit (when closings happen) is $837,351, so the difference must be resolved with finance.
The memorandum of understanding with the Housing Authority was corrected so repairs are completed before transfer, and the revised version was approved as to form by the law department.
No council questions and no public comment.

About 6 minutes across 1 meeting (from transcript timestamps; approximate).

Meeting	Minutes
2026-10-20 - City Council	6

2026-10-20 - City Council - Plan update, spending authorization and memorandum of understanding approved 7-0.
2026-10-16 - City Council Agenda Review - Previewed as an affordable housing plan update for October 20.