By NICK GOSNELL
Hutch Post
HUTCHINSON, Kan. — The Hutchinson City Council heard a presentation at their last meeting from the South Central Kansas Economic Development District.
"Really, SCKEDD's considered the premier housing grant writer and administrator in the state of Kansas," said Bill Lampe, Program Director for SCKEDD. "We do, obviously, the inspections and really kind of, walk the process all the way through. Through the most recent years, Hutchinson and SCKEDD have really developed great partnerships with those funding partners at Topeka. We really just appreciate working with the community."
SCKEDD is making an effort to innovate, rather than just be a pass-through entity.
"SCKEDD has created some seed money of our own that is not federally backed," Lampe said. "What we're seeing is there's some blighted properties and abandoned properties that don't qualify under federal programs, because they are not occupied by tenants and that's typically what makes them eligible for federal grants. We've been working with people in your zoning and code enforcement and these kind of things, to find these properties that are kind of falling in the gaps, where SCKEDD can come in and potentially turn those properties back into occupiable homes for low income families."
SCKEDD also expects more government money to be coming soon.
"There's additional grants that will be coming out after COVID," Lampe said. "We're seeing broadband grants and additional resources for housing that we're confident are going to be coming out. We know that housing is a big direction that Hutchinson wants to continue to push toward. I really just want to say that we enjoy our partnership with Hutchinson and look forward to future relationships."
Reno County commission chair Ron Hirst and Jackson Swearer, SCKEDD board member, both spoke to what SCKEDD has done in recent years to help in both Hutchinson and Reno County, as well.