KSHB 41 reporter Claire Bradshaw covers eastern Jackson County, including Blue Springs and Independence. Share your story idea with Claire.
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A Jackson County nonprofit has found a way to make homeownership more accessible by building affordable housing through community partnerships.
Community Services League constructed three new single-family homes in Independence at significantly reduced costs compared to market rates.
The organization purchased the land near its office 10 years ago, initially considering it for parking or storage before recognizing the community's need for affordable housing.
"On the market right now, a comparable home to this will be about $245,000 to $250,000, and we're able to build the house and sell it for around $185,000," said general contractor Daniel Spiegel. "So it's a big saving on the market. If they didn't have CSL and didn't have this project, they'd be on their own looking at the regular market, and they'd have to pay a lot more for this house."
The project succeeded through multiple community partnerships: Independence School District construction students worked on the houses for class credit; the National Women in Roofing-Kansas City Chapter arranged for donated shingles and labor; Independence-based Continental Siding donated and installed siding on all three homes.
"Well, it's great to have it for CSL, but our homeowners, they understand too that they're being wrapped around that [support that] makes them feel at home within their community," said CSL President and CEO Doug Cowan. "But really, what we're trying to do is make sure that these homes are affordable. And by getting some of these big-ticket items, especially roof and siding, donated, we're able to reduce the cost of housing, which reduces barriers to entry into homeownership."
CSL worked with wealth and asset-building partners to identify ready-to-buy families for the three-bedroom, two-bathroom homes. Cowan said the first family is days away from becoming homeowners after thinking the goal was unachievable.
The homes were built to be extremely green and energy efficient, with the general contractor estimating 40% to 60% savings on monthly utilities.
CSL plans to expand the program. Cowan said the organization received approximately 200 responses from interested families when CSL sent out information about the project through email. All respondents were renters working to become homeowners.
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