Wichita Mandates 10 Percent Affordable Housing in New Apartment Projects

The Wichita City Council approved an inclusionary zoning ordinance on July 8 that requires new multifamily projects with 20 or more units to reserve 10 percent of units for households earning at or below 80 percent of area median income.

The vote followed a public hearing on the proposal, which city staff presented as a response to rising rental costs documented in the 2025 Sedgwick County Housing Assessment. That report recorded a 12 percent increase in average rents between 2023 and 2025 within city limits.

Local effects on residents and developers

Under the ordinance, qualifying units must remain affordable for at least 30 years through recorded covenants. Residents earning up to 80 percent of area median income, currently $52,400 for a family of four, will gain priority access through a city-managed lottery system. Developers may meet the requirement by building the units on site or by paying an in-lieu fee of $45,000 per required unit into the city's housing trust fund.

The policy applies only to projects receiving city rezoning or site-plan approval after January 1, 2027. Smaller apartment buildings and single-family subdivisions remain exempt.

Comparison with peer cities

Wichita's 10 percent set-aside and 30-year affordability period match the standards adopted by Kansas City in 2022 and by Topeka in 2024. Both cities also allow an in-lieu fee option, though their fees are set at $50,000 and $42,000 per unit respectively. City documents note that Wichita's fee level was calibrated to avoid deterring projects already in the permitting pipeline.

The ordinance takes effect upon publication in the official city journal, expected within 10 days. City planning staff will begin accepting applications for the affordable housing lottery in the first quarter of 2027, after the first projects subject to the rule receive final approvals.