Thrive Allen County representatives asked county commissioners Tuesday evening to free up the final dollars from a state grant that helped bring a long-running housing project in Humboldt to fruition. After years of reports and compliance checks, Thrive hopes to use the last $2,875 of the Moderate Income Housing (MIH) funds to cover the administrative work that has quietly carried the project.
Vickie Moss, grant writer for Thrive, reviewed the history of the grant, which dates back to 2021 when former Thrive economic development director Jonathon Goering first approached commissioners about applying for $50,000 through the state program.
THE ORIGINAL plan was to purchase land for a land bank, but Moss said there was some misunderstanding.
“The state wanted that grant to be used to build housing,” she explained. The project shifted to construction of a two-story, 1,700-square-foot home at 803 Pecan St. in Humboldt.
Built by Campestral — an architecture and design nonprofit affiliated with Kansas State University’s Small Town Studio — the three-bedroom, two-bath home was completed more than a year ago. A January 2024 disbursement provided $47,000 to the developer, and the house is currently listed for sale at $189,500.
Because the home was funded through a MIH grant, it must be sold to buyers who fall within the moderate-income range, defined as 60–150% of the county’s median household income.
Moss explained that the income thresholds vary by household size. “A one-person family, they have to make somewhere between $35,340 and $88,350,” she said. For a family of four, the range is $50,460 to $126,150.
Those limits have proven challenging. Commissioner Jerry Daniels pointed out that the restrictions have already disqualified one buyer. Moss added that the house has dropped in price more than once and that finding a qualifying family is not straightforward.
“Sometimes it’s hard to find one that makes enough money to qualify, but this one actually made too much,” she said of the most recent interested buyer.
Daniels noted supplemental support for construction elevated the home’s value, bringing it to another level of property value. “It’ll just be a transaction that’s going to require patience,” he said. “It’s a beautiful home. The design and floor plan is very unique — it’s not going to be for everyone.”
Once the house sells, a deed restriction will remain in place for five years. Moss said the restriction limits the profit that can be achieved whenever such home is sold within the five-year period.
“You can’t use the state’s money to make even more money,” she explained. The state will monitor compliance, and Thrive will assist with that process.
Thrive President and CEO Lisse Regehr noted the limitations on the grant are strict. “There are only certain ways this funding can be used,” she said, adding that handling the reporting and compliance work amounts to “about a 10-year administration that Thrive will have done for this particular project.”
Moss told commissioners the state recently informed her that $2,875 remains unspent. Thrive has not received compensation for its administrative work to date, she said, so she asked whether the remaining funds could be used to offset those costs. The state agreed, but the county — as the grant sponsor — must approve the request. Commissioners agreed to approve.
The home is part of Campestral’s Frugal House project, intended to honor rural design traditions. Architect and contractor Larry Coleman of Eureka led its development. The house remains on the market for $189,500.
IN OTHER NEWS, Public Works Director Mitch Garner reported the county’s landfill compactor is due for a rebuild.
