Stafford County Economic Development Having to Slow Down New Housing Development Program

Stafford County Economic Development (EcoDevo) is having to slow down its plan for a New Housing Development Program that would have built 10 more houses. Its fall 2022 application for a Moderate Income Housing Grant was not awarded funding. The Kansas Housing Resource Corporation received around $19 million in Moderate Income Housing grant requests in its fall grant cycle and was only able to award about $5 million in funding.  

EcoDevo decided not to reapply in the February grant cycle but is spending time revising its plan. There will be two more opportunities to apply for funding later this year. A number of things have changed since the New Housing Development Program was originally presented. 

“It is going to take time to get updated costs and rework our plan,” said Kathleen Norman, Stafford EcoDevo executive director. “We will probably have to scale back the size of the project and figure out a contingency for how to move forward with some housing even if we aren’t able to secure the additional grant funding for a larger project.” 

This new housing would not have the same income and age restrictions as the current rental houses being built by EcoDevo. These new houses will be moderate income housing and the goal will still be to sell the houses. 

EcoDevo is a 501c3 nonprofit organization that strives to achieve local economic growth by supporting businesses, fostering employment opportunities, improving housing, and cultivating amenities that improve quality of life that encourage population growth.