Kansas Senator Jerry Moran introduced legislation on Thursday looking to address a national housing shortage and make it easier for rural workers to live in the communities they serve.
The bill which was introduced with Maine Senator Angus King is called the Farmhouse-to-Workforce Housing Act and would expand the existing Housing Preservation Grants program to allow rural homeowners to construct additional housing on their property – such as an attached apartment unit or a small home nearby – to be available for rent.
“There is a high demand for rural housing across Kansas, and it’s important that our housing programs offer creative solutions to address this issue,” said Sen. Moran. “Modernizing the Housing Preservation Grants program will help create new avenues for renovating and constructing homes in smaller communities across the country.”
The legislation would also authorize funding for the nationwide program at $200 million, offer grants of up to $100,000 to low-or-medium-income recipients and create a five-year ownership and occupancy requirement upon completion to prevent homeowners from flipping their property at increased values and prevent developers from taking advantage of the program.
