Access the full feature here.
By Jonah Kahn
Published: May 12, 2026 at 11:16 PM
TOPEKA, Kan. (WIBW) – Topeka’s City Council approved two ordinances on Tuesday, May 12, related to a new affordable housing development.
The development will be called Johnson-Betts Meadows and involves several community partners, including the Topeka Housing Authority (THA) and SENT Topeka.
It will be located in the Hi-Crest neighborhood at 31st and Fremont.
“Part of that development process and the funding application that was put together in order to bring that development to life was necessary to have what’s called an RHID,” Trey George, CEO of THA, said.
Making the area a Reinvestment Housing Incentive District (RHID) allows certain project expenses to be put back into it, becoming a use of funds in the financial package.
“It’s a 176-unit development, 106 of those units will have project-based vouchers that are gonna come from Topeka Housing Authority,” George said.
The homes will target families making 60%, 40% and 30% of the median income, but THA is standing by to help those families afford their rent.
“That’s where the project-based vouchers come in to help offset some of that rental expense for the families that are in that lower income bracket,” George said.
SENT owns the land, and they’re ready to help families in a new way.
“SENT will also be providing supportive services to all the families onsite at that development,” George said. “This will be the first time that they’re actually being directly provided on site.”
Total construction costs will be just over $55 million, but George says the price tag is outweighed by the need for affordable housing.
“This is the largest new development we’ve done to date, at least in the last 20 years,” George said. “Right now is a very exciting time in Topeka. We actually have more affordable units under development right now than I think we’ve ever had. A little over 500.”
This is one of several projects underway to meet a long-standing need for affordable housing in Topeka.
Copyright 2026 WIBW. All rights reserved.