Four units of low income housing opened by Cornerstone of Topeka and Shirley Construction

Cornerstone of Topeka, an agency dedicated to building affordable housing held a ribbon-cutting ceremony as they announced the opening of two new duplexes.

The units are for tenants whose household income is 60% or less than the areas median household income. For a family of four, that amount would be $46,200 in this area.

"We are so happy to bring four new affordable homes to our community," Cornerstone CEO Chris Palmer said at the ribbon-cutting ceremony.

City leaders praise Cornerstone, neighborhood organizations

The homes were constructed by Shirley Construction, who has been a long-time partner of Cornerstone. Palmer praised Shirley Construction for helping Cornerstone keep affordable housing affordable.

The properties are located on the 1300 block of SW Fillmore Street and feature two and three-bedroom units. The location is within the district of City Councilwoman Karen Hiller, who attended the ceremony. Palmer said rent ranges from $500-$550 per month and that all four units are occupied.

"I happened to know the people who owned this property and knew how important this street was," she said. "It was fun to see it all come together."

Hiller also praised the city, non-profits and other organizations who came together to raise the funds and build these properties. Cornerstone is one of two major organizations that seek to build affordable housing for Topeka residents, and focus on building rental properties.

The other major organization, Habitat for Humanity, focuses on ownership and actively includes the residents in the construction process.

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Hiller was complimentary of the efforts by Cornerstone and Shirley Construction during tough times in the housing markets. The problems faced with acquiring materials and the cost of said materials prompted jokes during the ceremony, which can be re-watched on the Greater Topeka Partnership’s Facebook page.

“To see these houses completed and occupied at a time when housing is a crisis is just invaluable,” Hiller said after the ceremony. “Not only does it impact the opportunities for affordable housing for our families that need it, but they're well located.”

Mayor Mike Padilla was also present and praised the Neighborhood Improvement Area leadership team for their efforts.

"This is an effort that took the NIA to a different level," Padilla said. "If NIA's are working hard together and keep focused on what their purpose is, this is what can occur."

Padilla remembered his time as a police officer, patrolling what was called the "444." He commended the neighborhood residents for always trying to maintain the look and heritage of it.

Units prompt questions surrounding housing trust fund

While both Hiller and Padilla praised the efforts of local leaders, the question of how more homes such as these was posed. Topeka has mechanisms in place, as does the federal government and private loan issuers to raise funds for affordable housing, but Hiller said advocates of affordable housing need to “raise new money.”

“These projects were done with government money and other government programs and credits,” she said. “What we need is to have the advocates for the housing trust fund raise new money and bring new money into affordable housing for us.”

The money brought in could be used for infill housing, such as what Cornerstone celebrated, but also for rehabilitation programs and weatherization programs. According to Hiller, this will make a difference for people living in existing homes.

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According to Hiller, the housing trust fund exists to augment and leverage dollars that are already available. This was echoed by Chris Palmer, who recognized that the housing trust fund could be the difference between building two or three homes.

“We’re doing a lot of things, and we’re doing them well, but there’s a lot of room for us to grow,” Hiller said. “Adding to the trust fund, and volunteer programs and so on, all of those things will help."

Alex Edwards is the local politics reporter for the Topeka Capital-Journal. He can be reached via email at aedwards@gannett.com, or via twitter @AMEdwards21

This article originally appeared on Topeka Capital-Journal: Four new units of affordable low-income homes come to Central Topeka