Community Housing Services of Wichita, Kansas, Celebrates Ten Years

Congressman Todd Tiahrt received a NeighborWorks Week cap from June Bailey, the executive director of Community Housing Services of Wichita/Sedgwick County.

May 9, 2006, Wichita, Kansas—Community Housing Services (CHS), a member of the national NeighborWorks® network and a NeighborWorks Homeownership Center, celebrated its 10th year at a special event on April 20 that was attended by more than 150 community members. CHS received more than $300,000 at the event from NeighborWorks America, State Farm, and other partners. The funds will be used to support CHS’ work in the areas of affordable housing, neighborhood revitalization, education and self-sufficiency in the community.

Event attendees, who included CHS’s partners and CHS clients, as well as U.S. Congressman Todd Tiahrt, celebrated the organization’s successes in providing safe, affordable housing; revitalizing once-neglected communities; and offering homeownership education and financial assistance to those in need. In the last decade, CHS has assisted families of modest means in Wichita and Sedgwick County with more than 1,200 grants and loans totaling over $35 million.

NeighborWorks America provides a grant to Community Housing Services of Wichita/Sedgwick County at the Kansas nonprofit’s 10th anniversary dinner. From left to right: John Santer, NeighborWorks America; U.S. Congressman Todd Tiahrt; June Bailey, Executive Director, Community Housing Services of Wichita/Sedgwick County; Chuck Bullock, Community Housing Services of Wichita/Sedgwick County Board President; Michael Butchko, NeighborWorks America.

Kasha Wilson, a local resident who received homeownership counseling and loan assistance from CHS, shared her story of success in becoming a first-time homeowner. Congressman Tiahrt, who represents the Oaklawn community where the event was held, provided the keynote address.

Six of CHS’ major continuous partners over the last decade were honored: NeighborWorks America, Sedgwick County, INTRUST Bank N.A., Capitol Federal Bank, World Savings Bank, and State Farm Insurance. Federal Home Loan Bank of Topeka received special recognition for grants to CHS totaling almost $1 million for down payment and closing cost assistance to qualified first-time homebuyers and for support of the Kansas Homebuyers Network. The Kansas Homebuyers Network provides “place-based training” for the rural areas of Kansas. The training was created in an effort to assist rural communities in training a local person to teach homebuyers education. The benefits of this unique program to Kansas’ rural areas are sustainable homeownership and an increased awareness of the need for quality, affordable housing.

Since its inception, CHS has:

Collaborated with its partners to distribute more than $35 million in housing loans throughout Wichita Sedgwick County, rehabbed or newly built nineteen homes in delineated neighborhoods.
Provided homebuyer education to more than 1,200 prospective homeowners.
Completed four new home construction projects in Oaklawn – the first new homes built in the area in 50 years.
Opened the doors of the State of Kansas’s first NeighborWorks HomeOwnership Center designed to be a "one-stop shop" to educate homebuyers about the ins and outs of buying and maintaining a home. Consumers learn how to plan for their housing purchase, establish a good credit rating, identify reputable lenders, and select a home that is right for them.
Created the State of Kansas’s first "Tool Lending Library" where any of CHS’ members can check out tools for home maintenance and repairs. More than 2,000 tools have been checked out since the library’s inception.
Partnered with eight local banks and the City of Wichita to create the State of Kansas’ first Lender’s Pool, the Heart of Wichita Lenders Pool – a program designed for first-time homebuyers to keep them safe from predatory lenders. Eighteen families are in homes due to the success of this program.
Partnered with the IRS on the EITC program - a program between NeighborWorks® America and the IRS to help educate individuals around earned income tax credit and credit scoring.
Piloted a community building program with NeighborWorks® America to gage the impact of community building development within organizations that work directly with community groups in leadership development and neighborhood revitalization. The pilot proved that there was an increase in affordable housing, support funding, and neighborhood development in places across the county where organizations were doing community building with residents. NeighborWorks America has implemented a new initiative because of the information from the pilot called Community Building. CHS is one of the first 20 groups accepted into the new program.
Received the Bill Kitchen Award for NeighborWorks Week projects done by CHS. CHS has assisted with many neighborhood projects in the areas of Oaklawn, KenMar & Fairmount on projects ranging from painting homes, clearing yards, clean-ups to education events, and new nature trails.
Partnered with Oaklawn Improvement District (OID) and Sedgwick County to create the Oaklawn Neighborhood Plan.
Created the Kansas Homebuyers Network—a program training the trainers to teach homebuyer education in the rural areas of Kansas.

"We know that homeownership is the most powerful driver of wealth," says CHS Executive Director June Bailey. "A low-income homeowner will typically have a net worth 12 times that of a renter who earns the same amount of money. That’s good news for the homeowner and good news for building stable, vibrant communities. The need for affordable housing isn’t going away anytime soon. CHS will continue to provide comprehensive housing counseling programs, work to prevent foreclosures, and offer down payment assistance to qualified residents. We extend a heartfelt thanks to our many partners over the years who have collaborated with us and who will continue to help advance our mission. We could not have done it alone."

About Community Housing Services and NeighborWorks America
Community Housing Services is a member of the national NeighborWorks network, which is made up of more than 245 organizations across the country that are building safe, affordablehousing; providing homeownership and financial fitness opportunities; and spurring economic development in thousands of neighborhoods. In the last five years alone, NeighborWorks organizations have invested $10 billion in America’s communities and helped nearly 780,000 families of modest means purchase or improve their homes or secure safe rental or mutual housing.