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Affordable Housing in Wichita (Part 1)

First things first, I am not an expert. I’m just a guy who attempts to write on the internet, but this topic does deserve more attention and likely more than one post.

It is too big, too layered, and too important for Wichita’s future. Think of this as part one of a continuing series. I’ll keep updating it as new data comes out and as Wichita (hopefully) makes progress.

Cost of Living in Wichita

Wichita is consistently ranked as one of the most affordable places to live, especially for renters.

• As a single person – The Economist

• Single renter affordability – RentHop report

But what about homeowners?

For towns with fewer than 500,000 residents (Wichita is around 400,000 people), Wichita ranks #8 for most affordable U.S. cities according to Anyhoa’s list of towns with the most affordable homes.

From AnyHOA:

Choose Wichita’s cost of living calculator shows our city still looks cheap on paper.

You can even see just between the AnyHOA and Choose Wichita data, the median listing home price and the lived reality is changing fast.

Would it surprise you if I told you we have over 60,000 households in Wichita that are cost-burdened by housing?

The State of Affordable Housing in Wichita

Access to affordable housing is vital for a healthy, stable community. Wichita has seen some progress, but a lot of people are still struggling.

Unlike many U.S. cities, Wichita has actually seen a slight increase in households finding affordable housing. That is encouraging, but it does not change the fact that housing is still out of reach for too many.

Roughly one in five homeowners and one in four renters in Wichita are considered cost-burdened, meaning they spend more than 30% of their income on housing.

When that happens, people are forced to make impossible tradeoffs: rent or groceries, mortgage or medicine. It is a quiet squeeze that leaves families one unexpected bill away from crisis.

And it is not just low-income families feeling the pinch. More middle-income households, those making under $75,000 a year, are shifting away from homeownership and toward renting. That is a sign that our “affordable” city might not be as affordable as it looks. (see more statistics like this on the Wichita State of our City Dashboard).

The Reality on the Ground

According to HUD’s 2023 market analysis, the average rent in Wichita is about $838, with a vacancy rate under 9%.

For a single parent making $18 an hour, that is over 40% of their income before utilities.

Home prices have climbed too. The average home now costs around $245,000, up roughly 6% in a year. “Starter homes” are becoming rarer, and saving for a down payment can feel impossible when wages have not kept up.

Even though Wichita is still marketed as an affordable city, we are short 30,000 to 50,000 affordable units by most estimates.

Groups like Wichita Habitat for Humanity and HOPE Community Development Corporation are working to close that gap, but it is massive and it is growing.

How We Got Here

Wichita did not suddenly become expensive. The city has long had one of the most affordable housing markets in the country, but “affordable” is relative.

For years, new development has leaned toward higher-income areas, while older neighborhoods quietly declined. Aging homes became too costly to repair. Empty lots stayed empty.

From a builder’s perspective, why build a $200,000 home when you can build a $500,000 home and make a much larger profit?

At the same time, rising construction costs, supply chain issues, and zoning regulations have made it harder to build entry-level homes or smaller, more flexible options like duplexes and ADUs (accessory dwelling units).

Add in flat wage growth and limited financing for first-time buyers, and you end up with a mismatch: houses cost too much and not enough homes out there that regular people can actually buy.

Supply & Demand

In short, demand keeps rising while supply barely moves. It is Econ 101, but with real people’s lives on the line.

The Wichita Journalism Collaborative wrote an excellent piece on this topic.

A few highlights from their research:

• “If Wichita-area homebuilders had kept up with their 2004 building rate over the last two decades, the region would have an additional 17,000 single-family homes today.”

• One obvious solution is to build many more houses.

• Duplexes or two-family homes are becoming more popular and are a great option for homeownership.

Why It Matters

Housing stability is not just a roof over someone’s head. It is the foundation for everything else.

Kids do better in school when they are not moving every semester. Workers are more consistent when they are not worried about eviction. Neighborhoods grow stronger when people can afford to stay put.

The Public Policy & Management Center at Wichita State found that homelessness alone costs Sedgwick County over $20 million a year in emergency services, healthcare, and lost productivity.

Investing in housing is not charity. It is strategy. When families have homes they can afford, it does not just stabilize lives. It strengthens entire communities.

Wichita Affordable Housing

The encouraging part?

There are people in Wichita pouring their time, money, sweat, and heart into fixing this.

Nonprofits like HOPE CDC are building homes in long-neglected neighborhoods. HumanKind Ministries is transforming an old hotel into affordable apartments. Habitat for Humanity continues to build more homes each year.

And developers, churches, and city leaders are starting to see that housing is not someone else’s problem. It is all of ours.

One example is Wichita Affordable Housing who is poised to build hundreds of beautiful homes over the next several years that working families can actually afford to own.

The Future of Affordable Housing in Wichita

Block Party

If you want to see what affordable housing looks like up close, check out the Block Party from November 13–16 at 1432 N. Estelle hosted by the Wichita Affordable Housing group. Consider this your official invitation.

There will be free food on Friday and Saturday. You can tour 2-bedroom single-family homes, a 4-bedroom duplex, and an ADU that might just tempt you into ordering one yourself.

It is a celebration of community progress and a reminder that this is what building hope looks like in real time.

The Future

This is a huge opportunity to show what the future of affordable housing in Wichita can look like.

These homes are “modular” or manufactured in a factory and shipped to the location, and while you might think you know what that looks like or what the quality is, I promise you, you have no idea.

They are not mobile homes but permanent structures, and the quality is better than most new builds.

They are made by Amanda and Jake Thompson with Prime Craftsman in Oklahoma and shipped to Wichita for installation.

Some people on Facebook are questioning why these homes are being built near 13th and Grove. Many of those comments are disappointing.

Do our neighbors in 67214 not deserve nice homes?

Long-term, there is potential for Wichita Affordable Housing to bring a factory to Wichita to produce these type of homes which will not only provide more homes at lower costs, but also provide jobs to many.

I hope this weekend’s block party inspires others to improve the neighborhood and make it a place everyone can be proud of, instead of the center of jokes and negative comments.

What do you want to see us go deep on in a future deep dive?

Let us know!

Quick Event Rundown

• Wild Lights | SCZ | Now Open!

• Cocktails with the Curator | Museum of World Treasures | 11/13

• Flocktail | Sedgwick County Zoo | 11/13

• Holidaze | Mosley Street Melodrama | 11/14 - 12/21

• Theater Anniversary Mega Show | Flying Pig Improv | 11/14

• Mamma Mia and ABBA Musical Bingo | White Crow Cider | 11/14

• Melodrama at Cowtown: "Heapin' Holiday Helpin' or...Her Cooking Was Tragically Delicious" | Cowtown | 11/14 - 11/16 & 11/21 - 11/23

• United We Dance | The Cotillion | 11/15

• Joe Walsh and Friends present VetsAid | INTRUST Bank Arena | 11/15

• Beauties & Beasts Fur Ball | The Hudson | 11/15

• Pentatonix: Christmas in the City Tour | INTRUST Bank Arena | 11/16

• Nate Bargatze | Intrust Bank Arena | 12/10 (rescheduled from September)