Shanna Ramey has lived in a city-owned rental home for nearly two decades. It’s where she raised her three kids and created a lifetime of memories, so it was devastating when she heard the news that the city of Wichita was selling all of the 300-plus homes it owns, including hers. “It was a lot of ups and downs. It was a lot of tears, because I thought I was gonna have to start all over,” said Ramey. “It was hard. Horrible. Because I didn’t know what to start.” The city is giving all current renters the first right to buy the house they live in, which is something City Property Manager Sarah Gooding says isn’t always easy. “To qualify for public housing, and then to qualify as a homebuyer is a very challenging process. Public housing typically serves households at or below 50% of the area median income,” Gooding explained. However, Ramey desperately wanted to keep the home where she had raised her family, so she worked with the city to make it happen. “With those who have been interested in home ownership, we’re doing everything in our power to get them to a closing date,” said Gooding. With entire city-owned neighborhoods full of abandoned homes, some full of bullet holes, the city faced some scrutiny about the lack of affordable housing when it chose to sell them all off. To help offset this problem, the city recently approved a $5 million Affordable Housing Fund. This offers builders up to $40,000 per unit to renovate or build new affordable single-family homes.
Source: KAKE – News
