On January 21, we reached a major milestone at our Pathway at Heritage Park neighborhood in Olathe. As dozens of local officials and advocates gathered for the ribbon-cutting, we officially welcomed our very first homeowner, Maura, to her brand-new three-bedroom home!
A new chapter begins
For Maura, owning a home marks a first for her family. After a five-year journey through housing instability, Maura and her six-year-old daughter, Rory, finally have a place to truly call their own.
As a lifelong Johnson County resident, Maura always dreamed of staying in the community she loves. However, with the skyrocketing costs of the local market, that dream often felt out of reach. Pathway at Heritage Park offered the perfect opportunity. Maura was able to purchase her home for about 250,000, less than half of the average home price in the county.
“There’s no way I would have owned a home in Johnson County or Olathe without Habitat KC,” Maura said.
Great progress in Pathway at Heritage Park
With Maura officially moved in, Pathway at Heritage Park has transformed from a construction site into an active neighborhood. We’re on track to complete construction on time and welcome more families to their new homes.
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3 Homes Completed: Including Maura’s, the first three homes are officially finished.
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2 More Nearing Completion: We have two additional homes that are close to being move-in ready.
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Full Home Completion by Year-End: Construction crews are working hard to finish the remaining homes, with all 14 expected to be complete by the end of 2026.
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Neighborhood Amenities: We’ll begin construction on a new neighborhood playground and green space.
How we keep this neighborhood affordable
This project is special because it utilizes a Community Land Trust (CLT).
Community land trusts (CLTs) are nonprofit organizations governed by a board of CLT residents, community residents, and public representatives that provide lasting community assets and shared equity homeownership opportunities for families and communities. CLTs develop rural and urban agriculture projects, commercial spaces to serve local communities, affordable rental and cooperative housing projects, and conserve land for urban green spaces. However, the heart of their work is the creation of homes that remain permanently affordable, providing successful homeownership opportunities for generations of lower-income families.
A typical community land trust for affordable housing works like this:
- A family or individual purchases a house that sits on land owned by the community land trust.
- The purchase price is more affordable because the homeowner is only buying the house, not the land.
- The homeowners lease the land from the community land trust in a long-term (often 99-year), renewable lease.
- The homeowners agree to sell the home at a restricted price to keep it affordable in perpetuity, but they may be able to realize appreciation from improvements they make while they live in the house.
What’s Next?
As we celebrate in Olathe, we are continuing to partner with communities across Kansas City, including the Lykins and Marlborough neighborhoods in Jackson County and the Armourdale neighborhood in Wyandotte County.
Thank you to the City of Olathe, Johnson County, and the countless volunteers and supporters who have joined us to make this dream a reality for Maura and her future neighbors.