The City of Wichita will be starting a landlord incentive program to help provide more affordable housing for people who are on Section 8 and Housing First programs.
The city’s Director of Housing and Community Services, Sally Stang, said the program will provide one-time bonuses to landlords who join the program. First-time landlords will receive a bonus of $1,000, and landlords who were previously involved with housing programs for at least six months will get a $500 bonus.
The program also covers damages and vacancy costs, up to $2,000 in damages or deductibles for a zero to one-bedroom home or apartment. The program will offer up to $3,500 for homes or apartments with two or more bedrooms. Stang said there is a perception that tenants on voucher programs are more likely to cause damage or not fulfill their lease obligations. She said during an 18-month period under a previous program, the city received no claims. She said damages are not as much of an issue as people make them out to be.
The program will also provide up to two times the monthly rent to cover lost revenue because of an eviction, abandonment or other premature termination of a lease.
Stang said the program has guidelines and inspection requirements to prevent fraud and abuse.
The City Council voted unanimously to provide $250,000 in federal American Rescue Plan Act funding to launch the program.
Stang said there have been dramatic increases in market rents and there has been a drop in the availability of housing to assisted renters. She said there are nearly 800 people in the city’s affordable housing voucher program, but there are not enough landlords to work with those clients.
