League of Women Voters
of Salina, Kansas

Housing Policy

All people should have adequate, affordable, accessible housing available to them including people who are unable to work, whose earnings are inadequate or for whom jobs are not available. A household should not have to spend over 25% (in light of an increase of 13% in the cost of living) of its adjusted gross income for rent including utilities.

The federal government should bear primary responsibility for setting uniform program standards and for financing programs designed to meet low-income housing needs with state government assuming secondary responsibility. Given the federal government’s current lack of commitment to continued funding, state and local government as well as the private sector will need to make a more active role in addressing the housing issues.

State government will need to step in where federal funding of subsidized rents is dropped. State and local tax structures should be examined and revised to benefit communities that build housing for lower income families. Local government, business and labor should encourage innovative building techniques that would allow for easy conversion to physical accessibility as defined by the Americans with Disabilities Act Accessibility Guideline ADAAG as the population continues to age and to reduce the cost of housing production, ensuring the compliance with the State Visitability law.

The following should be considered to encourage maintenance of housing standards in low-income rentals:

1. Local government should review the need for maintenance codes and penalties;
2. Citizens should be educated on their housing rights including the Kansas Landlord/Tenant Act, Fair Housing Act, and Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act;
3. Federal, state and local tax structures should encourage private owners to improve their rentals.

An advisory board of citizens reflecting portions of different areas of the community (i.e. Human Relations, Center for Independent Living, single mothers, low income, Housing Authority Representative, ethnicity, etc), should participate in the development and monitoring of local housing programs by:

1. Developing public education and awareness of housing needs.
2. Evaluating effectiveness of local housing programs
3. Encourage community involvement
4. Supporting legislation, which fosters adequate, affordable and accessible housing taking into account the Visitability law.