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Network-Backed Bill Facilitates Rehab of Vacant Property

Kansas communities struggling with the dangers, blight and loss of property value caused by vacant and abandoned properties received good news recently from lawmakers.  Governor Parkinson signed Senate Bill 561 into law on April 15, which will allow not-for-profit organizations to be able to act more quickly to rehabilitate vacant and abandoned property and return that property to homeowners.  This needed piece of legislation was championed by a LISC-lead Kansas Policy Network, and its passage is largely a result of their efforts.

Launched in 2006 by Greater Kansas City LISC, the Kansas Policy Network

began with only a hand-full of individuals from across the state.  Since then, it

has grown to include over 400 members; all interested in the creation of effective community development tools.  For SB561, the policy network used its

collective voice to back the bill, providing letters of support and giving testimony before the House and Senate.

Ashley Jones-Wisner, LISC Director of State Policy and coordinator of the Network, sees SB 561 as an accelerator in the effort to rehabilitate vacant properties. “The longer a property sits in distress, the more expensive and difficult it is to bring it back to productive use,” said Jones-Wisner.  “The tools in this bill will help neighborhood revitalization happen more quickly and ensure that resources are used effectively.”

The passage of Senate Bill 561 demonstrates how effective the Policy Network’s collaboration has been in securing legislation to benefit Kansas communities.  In this case, every major housing organization in Kansas, multiple cities and not-for-profit housing providers supported SB561. 

In addition to SB561, LISC and the Kansas Policy Network were also successful in advocating for the following two pieces of legislation:

• Senate Bill 430 – Reinstatement of the Historic Tax Credit

The legislation effectively corrects the unintended consequences of the 2009 budget bill that inadvertently resulted in a 70 percent cut to the program, compared to the intended 10 percent reduction. As a result of the 2009 legislation, the state general fund benefited by more than $1 million, compared to the $300,000 fiscal note attached to the 2009 legislation.

• Senate Bill 382 - Expansion of the Housing Loan Deposit Program

Originally adopted by the Legislature in 2008, the program provides qualified builders/developers in Kansas access to $60 million in loans.  The program gives Kansas banks the ability to provide incentives for housing construction development loans. Previously, these loans could be authorized for a length of up to five years for a single family home valued at not more than 350 percent of the Kansas median family income.

Flanking Kansas Governor Mark Parkinson as he signs SB382 into law are left to right: State Treasurer Dennis McKinney; State Policy Director for Greater Kansas City LISC Ashley Jones-Wisner; Rep. Pat George; guest of Rep. George; Senator Ruth Teichman; Rep. Bob Grant; Rep. Richard Proehl; and Dough Wareham of the Kansas Bankers Association.