Iola City Council members agree there’s no magic bullet to solving local housing issues.
Builders are reluctant to construct new homes without knowing there’s a buyer — particularly if they know the home itself is not as valuable as the materials used in its construction.
Prospective buyers, meanwhile, find it hard to save up money to buy a home if they’re paying as much, or more, in rent as they would mortgage.
The housing discussion at Monday’s council meeting was prompted by a report from Iola City Administrator Carl Slaugh about a housing development workshop he attended recently in Wichita.
Rural communities like Iola are hamstrung because of high construction costs, Slaugh reported.
“It puts a damper on construction,” he said. “Everybody wants affordable housing, regardless of income level. The ones at the lowest end have the hardest time in finding places to buy or rent. That’s usually where we put our resources.”
Slaugh recommended the city have a housing assessment done, in which a large spectrum of the community is surveyed on their housing issues.
The assessment gives developers a truer sense of a community’s needs.
Slaugh also touched on resources available through the state and federal government — or lack thereof.
“There’s, frankly, not a lot of funding available,” Slaugh said. “One of the funding sources through the state will fund housing projects, but there’s only $2 million for the whole state. As with most grant situations, they have a lot more people applying than they have money.”
COUNCILMAN Bob Shaughnessy, a local contractor, shared his views.
“I remember a bank asked me, ‘How come you don’t build houses?’” Shaughnessy recalled. “I said, ‘Because I like to sleep at night.’
“It worries you an awful lot when you have a lot of money on the line. If you had 200 people outside town saying they’re willing to buy a house, then I’d build them. But if nobody’s out there, you can’t build them.”
Beverly Franklin, who also sells homes in and around Iola, noted the housing market is more active elsewhere in southeast Kansas.
“In Fort Scott and Iola, there’s just not much going on,” Franklin said. “I do most of my work in Labette County and Crawford County. Things are buzzing down there.”
“When you look over the past five to seven years, we have done some good,” noted Councilman Jon Wells. “We’ve added 59 houses. I don’t think 59 houses over five years is anything to scoff at. The city is moving forward.”
SHAUGHNESSY said the community is losing out now that USD 257 no longer has a building trades program.
“Iola got a good home, and we got some kids to get out and do something with their hands instead of pushing fingers on computers,” he said.
Shaughnessy and Franklin also praised the defunct building trades program because it made students more aware of other issues.
“Even if you’re not going to be in the construction business, or be an electrician or plumber,” Shaughnessy said. “If your roof leaks, you have the knowledge to go up and fix it. It may cost you $100 for shingles. If you hire somebody to fix it, it might cost $600. It’s just a vicious cycle.”
Councilman Gene Myrick agreed, while noting Iola High School still has some industrial arts programs.
“What hurt the district, they were building these homes, and they couldn’t sell them,” Myrick said. “They had to price them so much to pick up materials and pay for the teacher. It was a cost-saving decision. I know they have a class now, but it’s not to go and build a house.”
Councilwoman Nancy Ford wondered aloud if the school district could teach youngsters about construction by revitalizing dilapidated homes instead of building new.
Shaughnessy applauded the idea: “You learn a lot more by revitalizing than you do by building new.”
But with districts across the state facing budget cuts — USD 257 included — any type of building trades program may be a pipe dream, Ford conceded.
COUNCILMAN Steve French noted Parkford Apartments no longer receives government rent subsidies, which means the apartments now likely are too pricey for low-income residents.
“The market for rentals is so good right now, they can get full value from workers who want to rent,” French said.
While such news is good for Parkford, it likely creates a housing shortage once again for those with the most need.
Ford agreed.
“We need to find the right balance,” she said. “The houses at Cedarbrook (the River Valley Homes complex) are great, but a young couple that both work makes too much money.”
WELLS noted the city has taken other steps to help the housing situation. The city’s revitalization program allows for property owners to make improvements without being saddled with increased taxes.
“That’s a step forward,” Shaughnessy agreed.
Slaugh said he would direct council members to other information provided at the WSU workshop.
“This is a challenge that’s not going to go away easily.”
