Focus Area: Economy, Community Development
Staff Contact: Chet Belcher, Chief Community Development Officer; Kim Hollingsworth, Planning and Development Manager
Subject: Discussion on Housing Priorities
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TITLE:
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Discussion on housing recommendations and strategies.
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Summary:
The Olathe 2040: Future Ready Strategic Plan prioritizes diversifying housing choices and increasing the prosperity of residents. Community Development staff will provide an update on recent housing initiatives and recommendations on new strategies to further housing goals.
In 2024, the Olathe City Council discussed housing policies and strategies during an annual retreat to further Olathe’s goals of improving housing access, attainability and diversity across our growing population. From this came two primary directives - preserve and maintain Olathe’s existing housing inventory, and provide a market where new attainable housing is available.
Although a greater number of total housing units are constructed each year in Olathe compared to our neighboring communities, the average new-construction list price is now $672,512, a 23% increase since 2021 (Zillow, 2025). Olathe also leads in the total number of residential units valued between $150,000 and $300,000 by the Johnson County Appraiser compared to all other municipalities in Johnson County; however, this number has significantly decreased since 2023, a result of the growing shortage of attainable housing nationwide. Attachment A provides supporting data on current housing trends in Olathe and the Kansas City Metro.
In 2024 and 2025, staff held a series of Development Community Forums and Roundtables to engage with our local homebuilding community to gain a range of perspectives on housing related topics. Discussions with 14 local partners resulted in key takeaways and tangible actions the City can implement to aid the affordability and efficiency of the homebuilding process. Staff will provide an overview of the takeaways and provide recommendations on next steps and implementation strategies. These strategies align with the 2021 Johnson County Housing for All Toolkit and 2024 Housing Supply Accelerator Playbook (American Planning Association and National League of Cities), which provides guidance for communities nationwide.
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Financial Impact:
None
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Action Needed:
Provide feedback to staff on recommendations and initiatives.
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Attachment(s):
A. Supporting Data