OLATHE, Kan. — County leaders and the faith community want to solve the housing crisis in Johnson County but haven’t aligned on the best way to do it.
Faith leaders continued their campaign for an affordable housing trust fund. Good Faith Network reached out to KSHB41 after seeing a recent report on housing statistics in the area.
“It’s heartbreaking,” Good Faith Network co-president Cheryl Jefferson Bell said. “The majority of folks that are working in our county can’t afford to live here.”
Good Faith Network is an interfaith group that works to solve issues like affordable housing and homelessness.
“We surely can afford to do whatever it is that we can do to help folks that are needing affordable housing to acquire that,” Jefferson Bell said.
Cities like Kansas City and Lawrence have funds they use to support development and revitalization.
Johnson County has talked about a potential fund for years.
Chairman Mike Kelly sent us the following statement when we asked about Good Faith Network’s advocacy for a housing fund.
“Safe and attainable housing for all Johnson Countians is a major priority of the Board of County Commissioners and has been for several years. Johnson County and its partners have made significant strides towards creating more housing across the housing continuum. A housing trust fund is one tool to deliver more housing, but we need innovations in multiple dimensions. We need a thorough review of how we use land, build homes, fund projects, regulate and provide workforce housing, all while navigating conflicting government systems.
I appreciate the perspective that advocacy groups like Good Faith Network bring to this complex issue and I invite all sectors - private, public, philanthropic and faith-based - to join in this community-wide effort to ensure that everyone in Johnson County has a safe place to live.”
Tim Suttle is the pastor at Redemption Church in Olathe and a member of Good Faith Network. He said they are constantly looking for ways to serve those in need while also addressing systemic issues.
“An affordable housing trust fund is one of the most effective tools that municipalities have at their disposal,” he said. “For me, I don’t see numbers, I see faces. I know their names and where they live and how they are struggling to live. That’s what puts a lot of urgency behind this topic for me.”
The Regional Housing Partnership, supported by MARC and LISC Kansas City, is exploring a regional housing fund, but there are no plans in place.
—
KSHB 41 reporter Abby Dodge covers consumer issues, personal budgeting and everyday spending. Share your story idea with Abby.
