More than 1,000 housing units that once were part of a federal affordable housing program in Douglas County no longer are participating, and local leaders are undertaking a “proactive PR campaign” to reverse the losses. 


The Lawrence-Douglas County Housing Authority has launched a new effort to convince Douglas County property managers to accept federal Section 8 Housing Choice Vouchers. The Housing Authority this week held its first landlord symposium as part of that effort. 

A big goal of the program is to convince landlords that the typical Section 8 tenant is not who they think. 

“We have really wonderful tenants that really take care of the units and pay their rent and maintain their leases, but there is a negative stigma around the voucher program,” Heather McNeive, the agency’s director of general housing, said.

If the effort isn’t successful, the impacts may go further than just those people who are currently looking for affordable housing. The Housing Authority’s director is expressing concern the number of future Section 8 Housing vouchers awarded to Douglas County may decline. 

“Quite frankly, it’s very hard to get HUD (the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development) to issue new vouchers into a community (if they go unused),” said Shannon Oury, executive director of the housing authority. “That’s really our focus. There are misconceptions out there or things that we need to work with our private landlord partners to do, and we’re willing to do that, because it’s so important that we have a community that everybody can afford to live in.”


One thousand units is a significant loss, McNeive said. Some of that loss is due to changes in property ownership; even if the previous owners accepted vouchers, McNeive said the new landlords or property managers taking over a housing complex might not want to participate. 

That could be for a variety of reasons, not the least of which is a stigma against tenants who utilize affordable housing vouchers. McNeive said it’s a “battle” for the Housing Authority; the agency has to stress that there’s a robust screening process for tenants who are issued vouchers. Those units are a much-needed resource since other housing options are out of reach for some tenants from the start thanks to rises in property value and the cost of living. 

McNeive said sometimes, a landlord’s reasoning for not taking Section 8 vouchers is related to that stigma, and they’re worried about the tenant not paying rent or damaging the unit. In other cases, it’s because of the agency’s once-per-year physical inspection process, which is mandated by HUD; some landlords have said it’s a “hassle” to have to opt into that process, McNeive said. 


Housing choice vouchers, colloquially known as “Section 8” vouchers, are the federal government’s main program for assisting low-income families, the elderly and people with disabilities in affording housing on the private market. Those vouchers are administered locally by public housing agencies like the Housing Authority, which then pays landlords a housing subsidy directly on behalf of the participating family. The family then pays the difference between the actual rent charged and the amount subsidized by the program.


Landlords were invited to attend the first landlord symposium, which was held on Thursday evening. The event was intended to inform landlords and property managers about the agency’s voucher program and other incentive programs in the community. On Friday, McNeive called it a success.


“The event last night was a huge success thanks entirely to (landlord liaison manager) Mariel Ferreiro’s hard work,” McNeive said in an email to the Journal-World Friday. “She delivered some powerful messages that I think really struck a chord with the landlords.”

Those messages centered, in part, on how units filled with voucher holders were a consistent source of rent income during the early stages of the COVID-19 pandemic when people were unable to work or losing their jobs. McNeive said she thinks that will especially resonate with landlords given the direction the economy is heading.

But the landlord symposium and events like it aren’t the only way the Housing Authority aims to reach landlords. Ferreiro’s position focuses on one-on-one outreach to landlords, and the agency works with an Americorps volunteer through the United Way of Douglas County to help tenants find eligible housing units. 

“Constantly, all the time, we’re doing one-on-one conversations trying to connect these tenants with landlords we can work with to accept the voucher,” Oury said.  

At the moment, McNeive said there are 71 families in Douglas County looking for voucher-eligible housing. She said the Housing Authority estimates roughly 84% — or about 60 — of those families will be successful in finding housing. Though a majority will find housing, those that don’t are more than likely from a vulnerable population.


“These are folks with barriers,” McNeive said. “… Over two-thirds of the families we serve are elderly and disabled, on fixed incomes through Social Security. Without the voucher, they really cannot afford a good unit to live at independently.”


While that is true, Oury said the housing authority also is highlighting another truism of the program: The vouchers are “only as good as the landlord that will take them.”


Landlords who want to partner with the agency are asked to connect with Ferreiro at mferreiro@ldcha.org. Tenants hoping to find help with locating affordable housing can connect with the Housing Authority by calling 785-842-8110.