ALMA — Gov. Laura Kelly was in Alma on Monday to celebrate a project that converted a downtown building into affordable apartments for eight families.
Frontier Property Management partnered with Kansas Housing Resources Corporation officials to convert the historic Limerick building into apartments. Rent will range from $500 for single-bedroom apartments to $900 for those with more, according to WIBW news.
Alma residents started moving in Tuesday.
Tyler Holloman of Frontier Property said the need for housing in Southeast Kansas is critical.
“We’ve had a lot of people looking for rentals, but were not able to find any that are safe and of good quality,” Holloman told WIBW reporter Danielle Martin.
Gov. Kelly said the affordable housing quandary is what is holding back the economic development in rural counties.
“It’s one of the state’s biggest barriers to growth,” she said.
Ryan Vincent, Kansas Housing Executive Director, said the Alma apartments target the ideal audience.
“These are Kansans that we need in our communities. These are our police officers and our firefighters, our teachers and healthcare workers,” he said.
Kelly said the state is willing to work with developers.
“The state needs to be a good partner with our developers to encourage them because the need is there, they are interested in doing it, we just had to make it work for them.”
The Alma project tapped available funds through the Moderate Income Housing Program. Kelly has proposed to legislators to add an additional $20 million into the program.
Also in attendance at Monday’s ceremony was State Sen. Tom Hawk of Manhattan.
“I don’t think any governor in recent history has made housing the kind of priority you have,” he told Kelly, adding that affordable housing is key to retaining young people in rural counties.
