Bipartisan housing push streamlines permits, modifies code to spur development
Gov. Kelly signs a pair of bills aimed at cutting red tape for residential construction and moderate-income housing projects.
TOPEKA, Kan. — Seeking to alleviate the state's ongoing housing shortage, Gov. Laura Kelly on Tuesday signed a pair of bipartisan bills designed to cut through municipal red tape and streamline residential development.
Senate Bill 418 enacts the By-Right Housing Development Act, which mandates a streamlined permit approval process for "by-right" housing developments. To further reduce local bottlenecks, the law allows third-party reviews of new residential construction documents and third-party inspections of improvements.
Kelly also signed House Bill 2739, which modifies state housing codes. The law exempts moderate-income housing programs and Kansas Investor Tax Credit housing projects from certain state accessibility standards. It also formally removes the definition of "apartment houses" from Chapter 31 of state statutes and adopts the 2024 edition of the National Fire Protection Association standards.
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