Allen County is one step closer to finalizing its work in bringing a new home to Humboldt.
Commissioners Bruce Symes and David Lee agreed Tuesday to pay a developer $47,000 for the construction of a single-family home at 803 Pecan St. The unique residence is the product of a Moderate Income Housing grant of $57,500 from the Kansas Housing Resource Corporation awarded in 2022.
JW-JW Real Estate, belonging to local benefactors Joe and Jane Works, is the developer. They have assumed all costs of the home’s construction beyond the grant amount.
The home will soon be on the market, pending some administrative tasks related to the grant and landscaping, which is dependent on the weather. The sale price is still uncertain, said David Broyles, a property manager for JW-JW Real Estate.
“We still need to get a sidewalk put in, and fix up a few things, including landscaping. Then, I’d like to invite real estate agents to help me estimate the home’s value,” Broyles told the Register. “I may hire an appraiser to figure out the home’s value, as that’s important to keep the home’s cost in line with what people can afford.”
As part of the grant’s stipulations, the home must be sold to individuals who qualify as moderate income. Households in that range earn between 60-150% of the median household income for the county. A family of two in Allen County would be considered moderate income if they earn between $37,020 and $92,550.
THE STRUCTURE was designed by Campestral, a nonprofit creative network based in Eureka. Campestral is affiliated with Small Town Studio, a K-State project where graduate architecture students provide design services to rural communities. Larry Coleman, Campestral’s founder, is the Humboldt’s home’s architect and contractor.
The home is part of Campestral’s Frugal House project, which is described as an effort to pay homage to rural forms. Its unique design features an open floor plan and an unfinished second story across 1,700 square feet. A bedroom and full bathroom are downstairs; drywall, lighting and plumbing stubs are in place upstairs.
The goal of such simple construction is to provide a model of attractive rural housing that’s also attainable. As it stands now, high costs in rural areas often make new home construction a losing proposition for developers. This home seeks to challenge that model and show that new homes can be built in rural markets at reasonable prices.
“It’s a real puzzle to get to an affordable home,” Coleman told the Register. “Of course the simpler you build, the more economical it is. So we tried to create value, and rely on value making it affordable,” said Coleman. “At this point, we feel comfortable in knowing what makes a viable rural construction process.”
IN OTHER news:
Commissioners heard from road and bridge director Mark Griffith, who provided two quotes for a new chip spreader, both for 2023 models. A Van Keppel model with 24-foot width and four-wheel drive was described by Griffith as the “Cadillac” of the two, with a price tag of $410,750. The other, a LeeBoy from Kirby-Smith Machinery of Kansas City, Kan., has a 16’ width and two-wheel drive, and costs $380,360.
Griffith told commissioners he’s more familiar with Van Keppel machinery but intends to inspect the LeeBoy model in person this week to learn more. He also noted that the Van Keppel’s four-wheel drive capacity likely isn’t necessary. Symes encouraged both Griffith and the commission to study the bids closely with plans to take action next week.
Signed a letter of support for Thrive Allen County in their application for a grant from the Kansas Office of Broadband Development. Thrive is seeking $500,000 to help provide laptops and tablets to Allen County residents. The statewide grant, Advancing Digital Opportunities to Promote Technology (ADOPT), seeks to address inequities in access to the internet. Kansas has received $15 million in U.S. Department of Treasury Digital Connectivity Technology (DCT) Funds.
Thrive’s Jessica Thompson told commissioners the organization envisions providing check-out centers for the new technology, likely by partnering with local libraries and community organizations. Just as library patrons borrow books, individuals who qualify could check out a registered laptop or tablet. The grant application is due Jan. 30.
