The Newton City Commission on Tuesday created a housing incentive program — one designed to help reduce the risk of losses by builders of spec homes that stay on the market.
Under the program, the city will provide builders with assistance to pay interest payments on new homes — homes that, according to a housing study and a work group, often sit on the market so long that interest payments on loans for materials and construction eat up the profits seen by builders when the home sells.
The commission looked a recently completed housing study that showed which demographics are expected to grow in population in the next few years and what types of housing may be needed over the next few years.
(Read more: Leavenworth Times)