Committee advances $300,000 homeless outreach program

'Ghost properties' drain up to half of property maintenance budget

'Yard of the Month' program sparks positive property maintenance culture

City identifies 4,762 vacant parcels in updated mapping effort

Vacant property registry faces likely repeal after low compliance

City looks to expedite county tax sales for delinquent properties

Officials clarify state law does not prohibit local rental registries

Upcoming forum aims to equip local 'mom and pop' developers

Rising costs prompt review of Topeka Opportunity to Own program limits

1. Committee advances $300,000 homeless outreach program

TOPEKA, Kan. — The Public Health and Safety Committee approved a $300,000 proposal to contract with Breakthrough House for an intensive street outreach program. Funded entirely by the city's opioid grant, the program will deploy three full-time and one part-time outreach workers to connect unsheltered individuals with addiction and mental health services. The initiative aligns with Topeka's "Built for Zero" strategy by helping the city build a real-time, by-name registry of the local homeless population. The proposal now heads to the full city council for final approval in October.

2. 'Ghost properties' drain up to half of property maintenance budget

TOPEKA, Kan. — Maintaining abandoned "ghost properties" is consuming between 30 percent and 50 percent of Topeka's property maintenance abatement budget, the code compliance operations manager reported Thursday. These properties, often left behind by deceased or untraceable owners, require city crews to repeatedly clear overgrown vegetation and secure structures at taxpayers' expense. The code compliance operations manager noted that abatement costs have risen significantly since the city adopted stricter vegetation codes that mandate the removal of woody vines, saplings and brush, leaving the city to foot the bill when absent owners cannot be located.

3. 'Yard of the Month' program sparks positive property maintenance culture

TOPEKA, Kan. — A recent video highlighting the city's yard recognition program winner garnered 11,000 views on city social media, marking a successful start to Topeka's campaign to shift the culture surrounding property maintenance. Communications Director Dan Garrett stated the city is pushing for more nominations as the year closes and plans to expand outreach efforts next spring. Officials aim to partner with the K-State Research and Extension Office and local neighborhood improvement associations to distribute information, encouraging residents to voluntarily maintain their properties and take pride in their neighborhoods without the need for code enforcement intervention.

4. City identifies 4,762 vacant parcels in updated mapping effort

TOPEKA, Kan. — Topeka's geographic information systems department has narrowed down the city's vacant properties list to 4,762 parcels, combining data on properties with zero building value and those without utility service for over six months. GIS Manager Travis Lather presented an updated interactive map to the committee, noting that the city currently relies on 2015 building footprint data to determine which lots have actual structures on them. Lather expects the state to provide new laser-generated aerial data later this year, which will allow the city to accurately filter the map and separate empty lots from vacant buildings.

5. Vacant property registry faces likely repeal after low compliance

TOPEKA, Kan. — Topeka's vacant property registry will likely be repealed by the end of the year after staff reported it has generated virtually no revenue and failed to improve code compliance. Code enforcement official Nicole Samuels noted that out of more than 200 registered properties, the city successfully collected the required $250 fee from only two to four owners over the past year. Staff found that the registry disproportionately penalized owners who were already maintaining their properties, while problem property owners simply ignored the requirement, ultimately wasting city staff time on administrative tracking.

6. City looks to expedite county tax sales for delinquent properties

TOPEKA, Kan. — With an 80-page waitlist of chronically delinquent properties stalled in the county's tax sale process, city officials are exploring new ways to move abandoned properties into the hands of responsible developers. The committee discussed working with Shawnee County officials and researching programs used in other states that allow municipalities to sell tax liens directly to third-party purchasers. Accelerating the tax sale process is seen as a crucial step for the city to recuperate unpaid taxes and abatement costs while facilitating the redevelopment of blighted neighborhoods.

7. Officials clarify state law does not prohibit local rental registries

TOPEKA, Kan. — Following a miscommunication at Tuesday's city council meeting, officials clarified Thursday that the Kansas Legislature does not prohibit municipalities from enacting rental registries or landlord licensing programs. The confusion stemmed from a city presentation that was interpreted as suggesting a state-level ban on such registries; in reality, state pushback is strictly limited to mandates surrounding mandatory interior housing inspections. City Manager Robert Perez is currently evaluating all options for a prospective local rental registry draft, though no final decisions have been made.

8. Upcoming forum aims to equip local 'mom and pop' developers

TOPEKA, Kan. — To encourage neighborhood revitalization, the city will host its first local developer forum on Nov. 6 at the Topeka Area Building Association. The free event aims to help small, emerging "mom and pop" developers navigate the often-complex processes of city planning, permitting and zoning. Attendees will also learn about available financial incentives and hear success stories from local contractors who have successfully transitioned from small rehabilitation projects to ground-up renovations in older Topeka neighborhoods.

9. Rising costs prompt review of Topeka Opportunity to Own program limits

TOPEKA, Kan. — City staff are reviewing the Topeka Opportunity to Own program to potentially increase the maximum allowable housing price limit, which currently sits at $75,000. Designed to help low- to moderate-income individuals purchase and rehabilitate homes, the program has struggled to keep pace with rising property values and construction costs. However, officials noted that any increase to the purchase limit must be carefully balanced to ensure that a participant's mortgage and utility payments do not exceed the federal affordability threshold of 30 percent of their monthly income.

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