Print Newsletters Volume 2

Blue Prints President’s Note Drawing Boards Santa Fe Town Homes Interfaith Housing Services shall develop, promote, and implement programs which assist persons of low to moderate incomes to meet their housing needs. It has been an incredibly exciting few months. Interfaith Housing Services has had some major accomplishments that have changed the dynamic of our organization. After a long process, Santa Fe Town Homes has begun construction and we are excited to be able to offer rental property within Dodge City. We have also created the Abandoned Housing Program. Interfaith Housing, as well as the City of Dodge City, has begun work to organizing the structure of this program and is excited to announce we have selected the “Hinkle House” as our first home to renovate. Interfaith Housing Services is very pleased to announce that the Santa Fe Town Homes project is underway. This 18-unit project consists of 8 four-bedroom, 8 threebedroom, and 1 one-bedroom rental-housing complex. This funding is available through the USDA Rural Development Off- Farm Housing Program, as well as the HOME/CHDO program provided by Kansas Housing Resource Corporation. Construction for this development is located on Brier Street. Once completed next summer, this project will be available to households involved in agricultural production. The City of Dodge City completed the new street and the entire infrastructure last spring, while the Dodge City and Ford County Development Corporation donated the land. Without their help, this project never would have begun. Interfaith Housing Services is excited about the housing opportunities this project will bring to the community! “This development will help larger families with low incomes to have a great place to live at an affordable rate,” John Scott, Interfaith Housing Services, Inc. Abandoned Housing Update Within the last year, Interfaith Housing Services begun working with the City of Dodge City and the Dodge City Community College to design a program to help get older deteriorating and abandoned housing renovated and back into service. This is a very unique approach to housing development that our organization is very excited about. Through this program, older homes can be donated to IHS as a charitable donation, or purchased at a very reasonable rate. Using the house as a training site for the Dodge City Community College Building Trades program, the homes will be completely renovated and restored to meet full HUD Housing Quality Standards and all local building codes. Once a house is complete, it is either going to be sold or placed into the IHS Special Needs Rental Program. Our organization also relocated our office within Dodge City. We have moved from 607 South Second to 100 Military Plaza, Suite 104. IHS would like to thank Ford County for all of the help and support along our journey. Our organization could not have made it as far as we have today without your efforts. Funding for this program became available from the Moderate Income Housing grant, provided by Kansas Housing Resources Corporation, as well as matched dollars allocated from the City of Dodge City. This is the first year the State of Kansas has funded this type of program and we are excited that Dodge City was one if the first to receive funding. Through this program, older homes can be donated to Interfaith Housing Services. The property owner can then take a charitable donation for the value of the property from their income tax. This is an excellent way for people to get rid of vacant homes not in use. It is also a way to give back to the community, put more homes into usability, stabilize neighborhoods, and create ownership opportunities for new members of the community. Sincerely, John Scott, President For more information regarding this program, contact Kaci Davignon at [email protected]. Volume 1: Issue 1 2012