📢 SENT Inc. Newsletter: Does Mixed-Income Housing Displace Residents?

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A Thoughtful Look at Research and Our Practice

This is a question we hear often, and it is a fair one. When people have seen neighborhoods change without protections, it makes sense to ask whether new housing, even well-intentioned housing, might push long-time residents out. I appreciate the care behind that concern, and I want to respond to it with both humility and clarity.

At SENT, our work is grounded in the belief that everyone has dignity and worth, and that housing should strengthen a neighborhood, not destabilize it. We are not interested in growth for growth’s sake. We are interested in health, stability, and belonging that lasts.

Recent research, alongside the way SENT structures its housing, helps explain why a mixed-income approach does not have to lead to displacement, and why in many cases it can be part of the solution. From the beginning, our hope has been simple: that families can improve their housing situation over time without having to leave their neighborhood, their relationships, or their children’s schools.

What the Research Actually Says

A 2024 peer-reviewed study published in the Journal of the American Planning Association examined whether new housing supply reduces displacement and exclusion in high-pressure markets like Los Angeles and San Francisco. The authors found something important that often gets lost in public conversation.New housing can help reduce displacement pressures, but the outcomes depend heavily on context. In some neighborhoods, added supply eases competition and slows rent growth. In others, especially where demand is intense and safeguards are weak or absent, new construction alone is not enough.

The study is careful not to blame displacement on new housing itself. Instead, it points to what happens when housing is introduced without complementary protections such as affordability controls, ownership pathways, and limits on speculation. Where those protections are present, the risk of displacement is significantly lower.

How SENT Approaches Mixed-Income Housing

SENT’s housing strategy starts from that same understanding, but it is also shaped by the specific history of the Hi-Crest neighborhood. In 2019, SENT built the first new house in Hi-Crest in more than 60 years. At that time, the neighborhood was not only experiencing long-term disinvestment, it was also struggling under the weight of one of the largest problematic landlord situations in the city.Any new investment in those conditions can feel sudden or jarring, especially in an intensive-care neighborhood where change has been rare for decades. We understand why even healthy steps forward can look like a jump.

We do not believe that adding units without guardrails leads to healthy neighborhoods. Our goal is to expand access to housing across a diverse economic spectrum while preserving long-term affordability and neighborhood stability. To see a neighborhood transition from intensive care to health, meaningful change must occur, but it must be guided, paced, and protected. We often talk about this work using the City of Topeka’s Neighborhood Health Framework. Some neighborhoods are in intensive care, where years of disinvestment, instability, and extractive practices require decisive intervention just to stop further harm. From there, the goal is stability, where residents can stay, costs are predictable, and basic systems begin to function again. Only after that can a neighborhood move toward long-term health, where opportunity, ownership, and community trust can grow over time. For us, one of the clearest signs of that progress is when children can remain in the same schools, such as Ross Elementary, Eisenhower Middle School, and Highland Park High School, even as their family’s housing situation improves.

SENT’s Homebuyer Pool Workshop is designed to help first-time buyers and returning buyers understand the full path to affordable homeownership — and learn how to prepare for purchasing a SENT-developed home.

Whether you’re just starting to explore homeownership or you’re ready to take the next step, this workshop gives you the knowledge, tools, and support to move forward with confidence.

Who This Workshop Is For

This workshop is ideal for individuals or families who:

  • ✔ Are interested in purchasing an affordable SENT home
  • ✔ Are working toward financial readiness and want guidance
  • ✔ Need help understanding the homebuying process
  • ✔ Want to join SENT’s Buyer Pool for upcoming housing opportunities
  • ✔ Are committed to improving credit, planning for a down payment, or learning the steps to qualify for a mortgage

Please note: SENT cannot meet urgent housing needs, and joining the workshop does not guarantee the availability or timing of a home. SENT’s Buyer Pool is not a waitlist — selection is based on financing readiness, household size, housing needs, and program requirements.

What You’ll Learn

This workshop covers key topics from SENT’s Homebuyer Handbook, including:

  1. Understanding SENT’s Homebuyer Program
  2. Preparing for Homeownership
  3. Down Payment & Assistance Programs
  4. The Homebuying Process

How to Join SENT’s Buyer Pool

To enter the Buyer Pool, participants must complete:

  1. A homebuyer education course through HCCI or Fannie Mae
  2. The SENT Homebuyer Pool Application
  3. One of these workshop sessions
  4. Get Pre-Approved for a Home Loan

You may start Step 1 anytime using these links:

Once you complete the Homebuyer Pool Application, we will email you the private workshop registration link.

Looking Ahead in 2026

  • Topeka’s students need experienced, supported teachers — and housing stability is key. SENT’s new Teacher Housing Stability and Retention Initiative helps educators become homeowners in the neighborhoods they serve, strengthening schools, families, and the community for the long term.
  • Coming in 2026, SENT will begin training Community Health Workers sent to us by trusted community partners — building local health leadership, improving access to care, and opening new workforce pathways for neighbors.
  • In 2026, SENT will expand workforce development in partnership with Working Men for Christ, creating hands-on training and employment pathways rooted in dignity, skill-building, and long-term stability. This collaboration equips formerly incarcerated neighbors with real opportunities to move from survival to sustainable work.
  • Join the SENT Team! Are you passionate about community, relationships, and making a meaningful impact? SENT is growing, and we’re looking for dedicated team members to walk alongside our neighbors in Southeast Topeka. We are committed to loving relationships, life-giving resources, and life-changing experiences — and that work takes great people. Visit our website to view all open positions.
  • We’re excited to share that SENT anticipates breaking ground on Fremont Hill in early 2026, marking a major milestone in our long-term commitment to housing stability and neighborhood revitalization in Southeast Topeka. This next phase represents years of planning, community input, and partnership coming together to create high-quality, attainable homes designed to strengthen families and support lasting opportunity. More details will be shared as construction timelines are finalized.

Mark Your Calendar for these Events in 2026

 

 

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