Announcements
The Kansas Emergency Rental Assistance (KERA) program through the Kansas Housing Resources Corporation (KHRC) is live! You can encourage your landlord to apply and you can apply yourself. If that sounds complicated, don’t worry, Gabi Sprague, our Housing Stabilization Collaborative Program Manager, can help you or your landlord through the process!
You can reach her at gsprague@unitedwaydgco.org or call 785-843-6626, press 7, and then 2 to leave a voicemail message and she will call you back.
You can find more information about the KERA program here: kshousingcorp.org/emergency-rental-assistance, but tenants may be eligible for backpay rent, current rent, and future months’ rent!
Support TTH through Amazon Smile
Amazon will donate 5% of your entire purchase price to Tenants to Homeowners when you make TTH your Amazon Smile beneficiary.
Our team of Helping Hammers can assist you with all those outside chores ~ call the Senior Resource Center @ 785.842.0543 for more information.
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.
Home Purchase Program
Tenants to Homeowners, Inc. builds new homes and rehabilitates old homes also. Learn more about our houses for sale.
Rentals
Tenants to Homeowners (TTH) maintains more than 80 affordable rental homes in Lawrence to those with low incomes.
Housing Stabilization Collaborative
The Housing Stabilization Collaborative provides financial rent support and low-interest microloans to Douglas County renters experiencing a COVID-affected income.
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 the Buhler family
“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!”