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In June, SENT was officially awarded tax credits for Johnson-Betts Meadows — a $46 million investment that will bring 176 units of affordable housing to Southeast Topeka. This is a milestone worth celebrating. It represents not only the hard work of our team but the relentless support, belief, and investment of people like you. This win belongs to all of us.
But as monumental as it is, one development alone will not close the gap.
From day one, SENT has never been focused on just one project. Our work has always been about designing a scalable system — one that creates sustainable, mixed-income housing developments while repairing the communal harm caused by decades of disinvestment. This model doesn’t just build homes. It builds thriving neighborhoods.
A Scalable Model for Holistic Community Transformation
Our approach is designed to be adaptable. Whether it’s five acres or fifty, the model combines:
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Low-to-Moderate Income (LMI) Housing
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Workforce Housing for teachers, first responders, and essential workers
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Commercial Space that fosters economic vitality
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A Resource Hub that assesses the needs of each neighborhood and facilitates sustainable partnerships to meet those needs.
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An Innovative Funding Mechanism that acts as part of the infrastructure of this model, blending philanthropic investment, private capital, tax credits, and public funding. This financial engine is designed to be flexible and resilient, allowing the model to scale while reducing dependency on any single funding source. Importantly, it is also structured to offer a financial return to investors, making it not just a tool for community transformation but also a sustainable and attractive investment opportunity for those who believe that doing good and doing well can go hand in hand.
Housing Alone Isn’t Enough
Housing is just the starting point. The real work is ensuring the long-term health and resilience of the people who live there. That’s why every housing development is paired with intentional wrap-around supports:
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Employment support
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Community-building initiatives
These supports aren’t charity. They are infrastructure for human flourishing. They are how we help communities heal from the generational trauma of redlining, disinvestment, and neglect.
More Than a Moment—A Movement
Our recent win with Johnson-Betts Meadows isn’t the end. It’s proof of concept. Right across the street, we’re preparing to break ground on New Heights, a 51-home subdivision for essential workers. It’s moving forward without tax credits because our model has been designed to be both scalable and financially resilient.
At the same time, we’re constructing four Net Zero homes in the neighborhood—3-bedroom, 2-bath homes with garages, designed to produce enough energy to offset most utility costs for the year. And, we are already looking toward the next 50-acre development, while also scheduling meetings with other cities across Kansas and nonprofits in other states who are interested in learning how to apply this scalable model to their own communities.
A Promise That Fuels the Work
As I shared in a recent interview with Authority Magazine, this work is deeply personal. It’s about keeping a promise I made to my mom—to create pathways for women like her to become homeowners. But it’s bigger than that now. It’s about creating dignity, equity, and opportunity for an entire community—and showing that this kind of transformation is not only possible but repeatable.
Southeast Topeka is the proving ground. But the model is designed for anywhere that communities are ready to dream bigger, work together, and believe that transformation is possible.
Thank you for walking with us. This win belongs to you. And we’re just getting started.
With gratitude,
Johnathan Sublet
Founder, Executive Director
johnathan@senttopeka.com