Source: United States House of Representatives – Congresswoman Sharice Davids (KS-3)
OLATHE, KS — Today, Representative Sharice Davids joined local housing and community development professionals to better understand the challenges and opportunities Kansans face in accessing affordable housing. The roundtable focused on practical, bipartisan solutions to ensure families across the Third District can find safe, stable, and affordable places to live — whether they are first-time homebuyers, renters, or looking to downsize or upsize as their needs change.
“Housing isn’t just about having a roof over your head — it’s about stability, opportunity, and dignity,” said Davids. “When families are forced to spend more than half of their income on rent, they’re making impossible choices between housing, food, health care, and child care. I’m committed to working across the aisle to expand affordable housing options so Kansans can build secure futures in the communities they call home.”
Across Kansas, there is a shortage of rental homes that are affordable and available to low-income households, causing many families to spend more than half of their monthly income on housing. It’s estimated that in 2021, Kansas had more than 55,000 fewer rental homes than needed. Also, currently 40 percent of renters in Johnson County are housing cost-burdened, meaning these families and others across the state must forego necessities — food, health care, child care — to afford rent.
Last year, Davids released her Housing Affordability Agenda, outlining a path forward for bipartisan legislation in Congress to ensure every American has access to safe, decent, affordable housing and the amenities needed to thrive. Her agenda centers on expanding supply, reducing cost burdens, and strengthening consumer protections in the housing market.
Earlier this month, Davids voted to pass the Housing for the 21st Century Act, the first comprehensive, bipartisan housing package in nearly a decade. The landmark legislation incorporates key provisions to:
- expand access to homeownership,
- accelerate the construction of manufactured housing,
- increase the availability of small-dollar mortgages,
- strengthen protections for borrowers and families living in public and assisted housing,
- enhance federal oversight of housing providers,
- and help lay the groundwork for new affordable housing development nationwide.
Along with her affordable housing agenda, Davids has worked across the aisle with her Kansas colleagues to make housing more affordable and accessible. She and former Rep. Jake LaTurner (R-KS-02) urged U.S. House Speaker Mike Johnson to schedule a vote on bipartisan legislation that boosts affordable rental housing options in rural, suburban, and urban Kansas. Davids has also secured federal funding for multiple housing projects across Kansas’ Third District, from rural to urban to suburban communities.
Representatives at today’s conversation, which took place at Habitat for Humanity’s Pathway at Heritage Park project, included: Brennan Crawford, Executive Director and CEO, Build WyCo; Lindsay Hicks, President and CEO, Habitat KC; Megan Foreman, Housing Coordinator, Johnson County; Will Ruder, Executive Vice President, Home Builders Association of Greater Kansas City; Tim Holverson, President, De Soto Chamber of Commerce; and Ryan Vincent, Executive Director, Kansas Housing Corporation.
“We are pleased to see Congress taking meaningful action to address our nation’s housing crisis, including the House’s recent passage of the Housing for the 21st Century Act,” said Lindsay Hicks, President and CEO, Habitat KC. “This legislation marks an important step toward expanding access to safe, affordable housing for families nationwide. We appreciate Rep. Sharice Davids for convening today’s discussion and for taking time to hear about the housing challenges facing Johnson County. We urge both the House and Senate to move swiftly to pass comprehensive, bipartisan federal housing legislation.”