TOPEKA, Kan. (WIBW) – Development on a Southeast Topeka housing project started Tuesday.
Sent Inc. broke ground on Johnson-Betts Meadows, a 176-unit complex at 31st and Fremont.
“This is not their city,” Sent Inc. CEO Johnathan Sublet said about city officials. “This is our city. And that means all of us can do whatever we can to move this thing forward.”
The development is intended to be an affordable housing option.
“Every family that lives here will be part of that future,” Topeka Mayor Spencer Duncan said. “Every child who plays here and studies here and rests here and dreams here will be part of that future.”
“We’re building peace of mind for a parent who has spent too many sleepless nights wondering how they’re going to pay next month’s rent,” Topeka Housing Authority CEO Trey George said. “We’re building stability for children who deserve a safe home where they can focus on being a kid and not housing insecurity.”
That’s the feeling Sent Topeka sees in Pamela Johnson-Betts, a longtime community advocate the organization is naming the apartments after.
“We often think of it as simply a title,” Pamela’s son Brandt Betts said. “But for me, this name represents a lifetime of love, sacrifice, strength and inspiration.”
The $54 million investment into Southeast Topeka isn’t something Sublet takes for granted.
Rent inside the six-building complex will cost between $700 and $1,300 a month, with additional subsidies set to bring it even lower.
“Only 1% of neighborhoods are more structurally under-resourced than the Hi Crest neighborhood in all of America,” Sublet said.
Sublet says the development has been a long time coming for everyone involved.
“When you’re entrusted with a vision by a community, it’s a really distinguished honor,” he said. “More than just the ceremonies, that’s a dream. And for people to trust you with a dream, it’s a great honor.”
All six buildings will be completed in Fall 2027.
Interested residents can apply right now by visiting HERE.
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