Announcements

First Time Homebuyer Workshop

Saturday, November 9, 2019
9:30 am – 1:30 pm

United Way Center
2518 Ridge Ct., Room A
Lawrence, KS

Density Bonus FAQ’s:

1. What is this Affordable Housing Density Bonus I’ve been hearing so much about?
The Density Bonus is Lawrence’s first city policy specifically supporting affordable
housing. With land and home prices increasing, the proposed bonus would allow affordable
housing developers to build 2 small homes on a single lot with the stipulation that the homes
remain permanently affordable and that each unit meet all parking, setback, and zoning
requirements.

2. Will the Density bonus cause water runoff or drainage issues?
Lawrence City Code restricts the % of impervious surface per lot. In many cases, two small homes
will allow more green space than 1 large home.

3. Why not just build more affordable housing on the edge of town instead of in my
neighborhood?
Affordable Housing is about more than housing. It’s about access to food, services, multi-modal
transportation, and neighborhood culture. TTH is currently developing equitable ownership
opportunities in all Lawrence neighborhoods.

4. Will permanently affordable housing in my neighborhood decrease the value of my home?
Housing in Trust is high-quality, energy efficient housing designed by local architects and
built by local Law­rence contractors. New, infill housing is a benefit to all neighborhoods.
More directly, housing in trust is NOT compared to unrestricted housing when creating county
tax valuations. Housing in Trust has NO affect on the value of neighboring properties.

5. How will the City insure that the Density Bonus is only for PERMANENTLY AFFORDABLE
HOUSING?
The text amendment allows use of the Bonus only to organizations who permanently steward
homes with affordability restrictions. The City will require a certification process to
insure eligibility for purchasers and developers.

A huge shout out to the United Way of Douglas County for supporting Tenants to Homeowners and Affordable Housing. Click here for more information.

Tenants to Homeowners is excited to announce Bowden Complete Construction as our Battle of the Builders event partner.

Tenants to Homeowners is proud to introduce 3 new single-family homes to the Brook Creek Neighborhood. Through a number of subsidies these homes will provide new, energy efficient construction to tenants at a variable rate (30% of their monthly income). These homes are reserved specifically for individuals making less than 80% of Lawrence’s median income.

Join us! 

 

Tenants to Homeowners and the Lawrence Public Library for a one-time public screening of Arc of Justice.

Tracing the remarkable journey of New Communities, Inc. (NCI) in southwest Georgia, Arc of Justice is a story of racial justice, community organizing, and perseverance in the face of enormous obstacles. NCI was created in 1969 in Albany, Georgia by leaders of the Civil Rights Movement, including Congressman John Lewis, and Charles and Shirley Sherrod, to help secure economic independence for African American families.  For 15 years, NCI cooperatively farmed nearly 6,000 acres, the largest tract of land in the United States owned by African Americans at the time, but racist opposition prevented them from implementing plans to build 500 affordable homes as part of their community land trust.

Following the film screening TTH will facilitate a panel discussion: “Affordable Housing and Inclusive Communities” with local panelists Ursula Minor (Lawrence NAACP), Ben MacConnell (Justice Matters), Jennifer Ananda (City of Lawrence), Mathew Faulk (Bert Nash), Randal Jelks (KU American Studies), and Rebecca Buford (Tenants to Homeowners).

 

Tenants to Homeowners, Inc was recently recognized for our transparency with a Gold Seal on our GuideStar Nonprofit Profile! GuideStar is the world’s largest source of information on nonprofit organizations.

More than 8 million visitors per year and a network of 200+ partners use GuideStar data to grow support for nonprofits. In order to get the Gold Seal, Tenants to Homeowners, Inc shared important information with the public. Now our community members and potential donors can find in-depth information about our goals, strategies, capabilities, and progress.

We’re shining a spotlight on the difference we help make in the world. Check out our GuideStar Nonprofit Profile and tell us what you think.

Affordable housing project seeks to add small homes to existing neighborhoods; that won’t be easy

Great Journal World article on future initiatives for affordable housing in Lawrence. Our very own Rebecca Buford Lewis gives a glimpse at what affordable split lot “tiny” home density could look like in our community (see image).

Article excerpt: “Specifically, Buford would like the city to consider allowing projects that would provide permanent, affordable housing to divide lots in existing neighborhoods to accommodate two smaller homes.”

 

 

 

The Lawrence Community Housing Trust builds new homes and rehabilitates old homes also. Learn more about our houses for sale.

Read more

Rentals

Tenants to Homeowners (TTH) maintains more than 70 affordable rental homes in Lawrence to those with low incomes.

Read more

Join us for our Annual Fundraising Event

Battle of the Building
September 14, 2019

Read more

Help Us Help Others

Want to get involved? Donate today to help Tenants to Homeowners help others.

Donate

What Our Customers Are Saying

Meet Kim

“We’ve been in our new house for about three months now, and I still feel connected with the staff of TTH. I like the fact that I can call with questions concerning the house, taxes, and the loan. I even attended a home workshop which was informative and fun. Honestly, I would not have wanted to go through the home buying process alone, and with TTH, I felt anything but. Thank you, TTH, this is a wonderful program, and I am grateful for the staff that makes a world of difference.”

Meet Lindsay

“Aside from my house payment being lower than our rent was, and the utilities being much cheaper than the utilities in the old, smaller house we rented before, I am thrilled that I am now able to give my children so many ‘firsts’ by owning our home. The first thing they asked when we moved was if they could paint their rooms pink and blue instead of the plain white we’ve had all these years of renting. They were also excited that we were able to put Christmas lights on our house. We now have a fenced-in yard for them to play in, and we were able to get our first family dog! I am so thankful to Tenants to Homeowners for helping me give my children these experiences while helping me be better off financially, and the feeling of owning my own home is wonderful!”