A great housing need was recognized in Barton County after the Barton County Housing Board completed a CDBG Grant in 1995 and disbanded.  And as so many stories go, this one too could begin, “And now for the rest of the story” ...
With a definite housing need established, the grass roots non-profit housing organization, Housing Opportunities Inc. (HOI) was founded in Great Bend in 1995. HOI’s struggle to organize resulted in them disbanding and then re-organizing in 1996.
From 1996 to 1998 HOI worked to officially be recognized as a Community Housing Development Organization with the State of Kansas. One of the last requirements achieved was to hire a full-time director.  
In 1999 John Haley, a tax credit developer from Topeka, passed away before he could begin construction on HOI’s first income based affordable housing property, The Oaks, in Ellinwood. Since HOI had no money and no income at the time, the City of Ellinwood was approached by HOI and asked to help fund them for three months with $3,600. With this request being granted HOI was assisted by the state to find another developer. In September of 1999 HOI met with Kathy Mesner of Mesner Development Company and The Oaks began construction. In June 2000 The Oaks completed construction and began renting 12 apartments.
Also in 2000 HOI was awarded the first of three USDA Rural Development Self-Help Housing Grants to assist families in the building of their own homes as they become homeowners. This income-based program led to the development of 54 homes in Great Bend and three in Larned between 2000 and 2006. The county valuation added through these homes is currently over $6 million, which adds to taxes collected in both cities and counties.
With HOI steadily working from 2000 to 2014 on developing, building, owning, maintaining and managing income-based senior/disabled housing and rent-to-own family housing, they have amassed quite a resume of success after success, including the newest income based rental property in Great Bend, Bedford Place.
Bedford Place celebrated the completion of 22 duplex apartments and a community room in December 2013 as required, and full rent-up in March 2014 as required, with the gathering of tenants, development partners from Kansas Housing Resources Corporation in Topeka, Midwest Housing Equity Group in Topeka, Federal Home Loan Bank in Topeka, Mesner Development from Central City, Nebraska and City of Great Bend officials. Not able to attend was the representative from Horizon Bank, the construction lender for the project.
Bedford Place LLC is HOI’s 12th property. Ark River North in Sterling is the 13th and MeadowBrooks, their 14th property, will begin construction in about 45 days. Currently HOI is working with the City of Hoisington on an application for a third property there that will be submitted in February.
HOI has been awarded close to $27 million for the development and construction of their 14 income-based senior and family properties located in Ellinwood, Larned, Great Bend, Hoisington, Lyons and Sterling, and the 54 home ownership homes in Great Bend, and three in Larned. An additional $400,000 was received for the expansion of infrastructure from Morton Street to Washington Street without any local taxes or lot specials. There are a total of five rental properties in Great Bend comprised of 76 units and a property value of over $9 million.  
HOI is governed by a board of nine directors, three from each county (Barton, Pawnee and Rice). It has seven employee and maintains an office at 1313 Stone St. in Great Bend. It is the only known non-profit with its own on-staff State Licensed General Contractor that enables HOI to build its own properties.
HOI is currently focused on the further development of its strategic plan that will broaden its financial management planning, employee base, program base and community awareness.

This article was submitted by Vicky Dayton, executive director of Housing Opportunities Inc.