FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
SENT, Inc. and Tenants to Homeowners Partner to Expand Affordable Housing Opportunities in Lawrence and Douglas County
Organizations will share learning, resources, and relationships to help close Kansas’s affordable homeownership gap.
LAWRENCE, Kan. — SENT, Inc. and Tenants to Homeowners, Inc. (TTH) are announcing a collaborative partnership focused on expanding affordable housing opportunities in Lawrence and Douglas County while strengthening shared efforts to address housing challenges across Kansas.
The initial effort through this partnership will involve SENT and TTH working together to support the development of the Holcom site. The broader vision for the site includes a 20-unit senior housing component and 56 additional affordable units, creating the potential for approximately 76 total affordable units in this emerging mixed-housing development.
This partnership reflects a shared belief that affordable housing work is strongest when organizations collaborate across communities, share practical lessons, and align relationships and resources for greater impact. By working together, SENT and TTH aim not only to help advance this Lawrence opportunity but also to deepen a statewide model of partnership that helps close the gap in affordable housing availability for working families, seniors, and first-time homebuyers.
Tenants to Homeowners brings a long and respected history of housing leadership in Kansas. Its longstanding work in permanently affordable housing and its innovation in the community land trust space have helped shape durable pathways to homeownership for Kansas families. TTH currently stewards 121 permanently affordable ownership units in the Lawrence Community Land Trust (CLT) and looks forward to adding 56 new units to the trust. TTH’s CLT leadership has provided a meaningful and unique example for other communities seeking solutions that preserve affordability, strengthen neighborhoods, and protect long-term access to housing.
SENT, Inc. brings experience in community development, neighborhood revitalization, and holistic models that connect housing with the broader conditions families need to thrive. Through its work in under-resourced neighborhoods, SENT has seen firsthand that housing stability grows stronger when paired with community engagement, long-term stewardship, and relationships that support resident success.
Together, the two organizations are committed to:
- Sharing practical lessons learned from affordable housing development in different Kansas communities
- Aligning relationships with public, philanthropic, and community partners to expand what is possible
- Advancing models that promote long-term affordability and neighborhood stability
- Supporting housing strategies that create opportunity for both current and future generations
Leaders from both organizations see this collaboration as part of a larger Kansas story: communities learning from one another, sharing what works, and building partnerships that can produce more permanently affordable housing in places where the need continues to outpace supply.
“Kansas communities need more than isolated housing wins. They need connected partners who are willing to share knowledge, strengthen one another’s work, and build models that can last,” said Johnathan Sublet, Executive Director of SENT, Inc. “We are honored to stand with Tenants to Homeowners and support work that expands affordable homeownership opportunities while contributing to a stronger statewide housing ecosystem.”
“Tenants to Homeowners has long demonstrated what it looks like to lead with innovation, stewardship, and a commitment to lasting affordability,” Sublet added. “We are grateful for the opportunity to learn together and help strengthen affordable housing pathways for more Kansas families.”
As planning continues, SENT and Tenants to Homeowners will remain focused on collaboration, community-centered development, and the long-term goal of increasing the supply of stable, permanently affordable housing in Kansas.
About Tenants to Homeowners, Inc.
Tenants to Homeowners, Inc. is a Lawrence-based nonprofit organization dedicated to expanding affordable housing opportunities and advancing long-term housing stability. The organization is widely respected for its leadership in permanently affordable housing and its innovative work in the community land trust arena.
About SENT, Inc.
SENT, Inc. is a community development organization committed to walking alongside neighbors through loving relationships and strategic development to accomplish holistic neighborhood transformation. Its work includes housing, health, food access, workforce development, and wraparound support designed to strengthen long-term community stability.
Media Contact
SENT, Inc.
Johnathan Sublet
Executive Director, SENT Inc.
johnathan@senttopeka.com | 785-783-2535
www.senttopeka.com
Tenants to Homeowners, Inc.
Rebecca Buford
Executive Director
rebeccab@tenants-to-
https://tenants-to-