Grants awarded to area public housing authorities and nonprofit organizations by the Kansas Housing Resources Corp. could help hundreds in Southeast Kansas who need assistance paying rent.

The corporation aims to increase the accessibility of affordable housing and manages the federal housing programs for the state. Through its Tenant-Based Rental Assistance Program, the public corporation distributed $1.8 million in funds to 12 agencies throughout the state.

The rental assistance program works to aid income-eligible households with security deposits, rent and utility deposits. The Kansas Housing Resources Corp. awards grants to agencies based on the number of households to be served, community housing needs and experience in administering the Tenant Based Rental Assistance program.

“Last year, TBRA funding helped 760 Kansas families access safe, stable housing,” Christine Reimler, the corporation's rental assistance program director, said in a statement. “Program funds help families avoid eviction and homelessness, so they can focus on long-term self-sufficiency goals like education and employment.”

Two of the state’s 12 grant recipients are located in Crawford County, including the city of Pittsburg and the Southeast Kansas Community Action Program Inc. in Girard. Pittsburg’s Public Housing Authority, which offers financial aid for rental units, received $100,000.

Megan Keener, Pittsburg’s community development and housing supervisor, said the department provides Section 8 rental assistance and Tenant Based Rental Assistance for security deposits.

Any individual within the city limits of Pittsburg who passes the housing quality standard inspection and has an annual income less than 60 percent of the area median income can qualify for TBRA funding. The maximum grant amount for each household is $700.

“We’re dealing with low-income families who can’t just come up with $700 plus first month’s rent and things like that,” Keener said. “We’re trying to help out because all of the Section 8 rental assistance in the world won’t help anybody if they can’t get into a place.”

The program funds will provide an estimated 206 low-income households with security deposit assistance for one month’s rent, according to the city’s grant application.

The housing authority is currently operating on a former $100,000 TBRA grant that was awarded to Pittsburg in 2017.

“Right now with this grant, we’ve assisted 110 families since February 2018,” Keener said. “We’re hoping to at least help 200 or more families or households.”

Approximately 11.9 percent of the low-income individuals who receive program funding are paying 30 percent of their rent and about 60.5 percent are paying more than 50 percent, according to Keener.

“We estimate about 27 percent of the households we serve will be moving from homeless to housed,” Keener said. “Thirty-five percent of them are single-family households and 38 percent of them are elderly or disabled.”

Keener said 7 percent of the new grant award will also provide administration funding for the TBRA program and will be distributed over the three-year grant cycle.

Other recipient

The Southeast Kansas Community Action Program, a nonprofit organization aimed at combating poverty, was awarded a $300,000 grant. The organization provides housing services to Allen, Bourbon, Chautauqua, Cherokee, Crawford, Elk, Labette, Linn, Montgomery, Neosho, Wilson and Woodson counties.

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