Two years after Prairie Village’s housing debate was effectively put to rest, a new state law is forcing the city to delve back into housing discussions. Senate Bill 418, known as the by-right housing bill and signed into law earlier this year, removes barriers to home building that might slow down the process or increase costs for home builders. The goal of SB 418, spearheaded by Kansas Sen. TJ Rose, Republican, of Olathe, is to bring back “starter homes.” SB 418 eliminates some administrative steps in the home building process, opens up the definition of what qualifies as a single-family home and removes some notification requirements on single-family developments. Under the new law, townhomes, duplexes and other types of housing traditionally considered to be multifamily could go next to single-family homes, potentially without a city having to rezone a property.
Read more: Johnson County Post
