photo by: Nick Krug

In this file photo from July 2017, two Lawrence Habitat for Humanity homes undergo construction in the 1900 block of East 17th Street. The city's affordable housing advisory board contributed funds to construct the homes.

Bringing affordable housing units to west Lawrence, providing low-barrier supportive services and adding infill development are all things Lawrence’s Affordable Housing Advisory Board wants to prioritize when distributing roughly $3 million from the Affordable Housing Trust Fund for next year.

That’s according to forms included with the agenda for the group’s Monday board meeting, when board members will receive instructions about the upcoming process for reviewing and scoring Affordable Housing Trust Fund project applications. By this time next month, the board will be hearing project presentations from applicants; the application process remains open through next Friday at 5 p.m.

As the Journal-World reported, this year’s round of projects will be vying for $2.835 million — the trust’s entire fund reserve — instead of the usual, smaller funding pool. Projects from last year’s application process ended up receiving less than half that amount, with seven projects awarded $1.26 million in grants.

The affordable housing trust is funded by a special affordable housing sales tax approved by voters in 2017, intended to support projects providing and improving the quality, availability and affordability of housing in Lawrence. The fund also supports projects related to land acquisitions for future affordable housing units and investments in private-public partnerships for the provision of affordable housing.

There are two review forms included with Monday’s agenda materials, the first of which includes categories for projects focused on development and land acquisition. That form asks board members to score projects on details like their distance to amenities, how many of their units are ADA-accessible and the cost of the project per bedroom.

The form also includes some specifics that hint at even more detailed priorities for the advisory board. On location, for example, the form asks whether the project brings affordable units to west Lawrence or in middle- or upper-income census tracts throughout Lawrence. And the length of affordability category awards maximum points if the project is planned to remain affordable in perpetuity.

The second review form, meanwhile, concerns categories related to what sort of supports and rehabilitation a project might include. That form asks whether a project offers trauma-informed care in its service design “in which participants are empowered with safety and choice” and whether services are provided with low barriers to access. Another scoring category grants points based on whether the project provides long-term housing stabilization for residents.

The board will hear presentations from Affordable Housing Trust Fund applicants at its Oct. 9 meeting, then hold a special meeting the following week on Oct. 16 to discuss the proposals further. Individual recommendations from board members are due by Oct. 30, and the group’s Nov. 13 meeting will be used to determine the final group of 2023 Affordable Housing Trust Fund recommendations.

Along with discussing the process for reviewing Affordable Housing Trust Fund applications, the board will also receive a presentation on the City of Lawrence’s revised plan for how to use $1.64 million in federal HOME Investment Partnership American Rescue Plan funds.

The group will also discuss how increasing property tax rates are impacting housing affordability and review and consider providing a letter of support as the county submits a “Solar for All” grant proposal. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency plans to award up to 60 grants to expand the number of low-income and disadvantaged communities primed for residential solar investment. Douglas County is one of two Kansas metro areas, along with Dodge City, that have submitted a notice of intent to apply for a grant.