About Us

Neighborhood Housing Services of Kansas City, Kansas was established.

Catholic Housing of Wyandotte County (or CHWC) was formed in April of 1998, led by a planning committee that included Father Michael Hermes and Monsignor Tom Tank. Work began in the St. Joseph / St. Benedict neighborhood with 10 new homes on South 9th street.

Catholic Housing began building homes in Mt. Zion Estates, a historic Northeast neighborhood. Since 2000, CHWC has built over a dozen homes in this neighborhood. 

Work began in the St. Peters / Waterway neighborhood. Leveraging a 2001 partnership with HUD and working in close partnership with the Unified Government to acquire blighted structures and vacant lots, CHWC has constructed over 70 new homes and renovated many more.

Catholic Housing of Wyandotte County formed a strategic alliance with Neighborhood Housing Services of Kansas City, Kansas that resulted in the creation of Community Housing of Wyandotte County, or CHWC, in July 2002.  CHWC became a proud member of the Neighborworks America network. CHWC began serving homeowners in Chelsea, Kensington, and Strawberry Hill.

CHWC began work in Strawberry Hill, building six new town homes Working closely with NeighborWorks. CHWC strengthened the homebuyer education initiative to further support families buying homes in the Kansas City, KS community.

CHWC relocated offices from a small home in Strawberry Hill into the Historic Fire Station No. 9 on 14th and Central in the Prescott neighborhood.

In partnership with KU's Studio 804, CHWC built a highly-efficient, affordable home as a demonstration project in the Prescott neighborhood.

CHWC was awarded tax credits to build new homes in the Bethany neighborhood, launching the House To Home program, a long term  affordable lease-purchase program that created 20 brand new homes — the first new homes in Bethany in over 85 years.

CHWC began to revitalize Waterway Park, a dis-invested, sinking public park in the middle of the Waterway neighborhood. Over several years and In partnership with the Unified Government Parks and Recreation Department and other community organizations, CHWC helped install playground equipment, a half-mile track, picnic tables, and other improvements. The park now serves as a prized neighborhood-attraction and is used by families across the community.

CHWC acquired a dilapidated Strawberry Hill building and launched EPIC Clay Studio, which continues to help make arts accessible to all people in the community.

Splitlog Farm was developed to improve health and accessibility to fresh produce for the neighborhood and adjacent elementary school, M.E. Pearson Elementary. The farm serves as a health and science education site for students at M.E. Pearson and provides fresh produce for the school cafeteria.

CHWC was awarded a second tax credit project. In partnership with Mesner Development Company, CHWC built 8 new homes in Riverview and 16 new homes in the bankrupt subdivision Meadowlark Valley, as part of the House To Home program. Since 2015, CHWC has built and sold 10 additional homes.

Community Housing Financial was incorporated to manage CHWC's existing portfolio of minor home repair loans and to pave the way for the  development of a new Community Development Financial Institution to better serve homeowners and home buyers In Kansas City, KS neighborhoods.

A Cup on the Hill opened in the downtown business district as part of CHWC's Community Building and Engagement program. This community coffee shop has since closed, its purpose of catalyzing further development in downtown KCK served.

CHWC formed a partnership with KU's DotteAgency, offering the program space in the EPIC arts building in exchange for community design collaboration. DotteAgency designed and constructed outdoor stage for EPIC Park and began working on a multi-purpose building at Splitlog Farm.

The sculpture garden at EPIC Park, nextdoor to EPIC Clay Studio, opened.

Splitlog Farm grew to include a hydroponic irrigation system.

CHWC was invited to help a neighboring rural community develop much needed senior housing in Valley Falls, KS. The development, known as Delaware Place, opened in 2018, providing 14 families with high quality homes.

CHWC hired its first in-house Property Manager.

Splitlog Berry Patch opened on an vacant lot across the street from the original Splitlog Farm.

CHWC partnered with Downtown Shareholders to construct and operate an arts entrepreneurship incubator in the EPIC arts sculpture garden.

CHWC embarked on total renovation of EPIC Clay Studio.

To encourage investment in historic KCK neighborhoods for buyers of all income ranges, CHWC created the Dotte Options program, a lease-purchase program for buyers of all income ranges in Strawberry Hill, St. Peters, Prescott, and Westheight neighborhoods. The program is poised to expand into more neighborhoods in 2019.

CHWC created Community Construction, a nonprofit construction company, to expand our new construction services as the demand for CHWC homes grows.

In partnership with Consolidated Housing Solutions, CHWC began work on the Boulevard Lofts development at 8th & Washington Blvd, bringing 50 new units of quality housing to Northeast KCK.

After finalizing the renovation of EPIC Clay Studio, clay programming officially moved back into its original campus at 609 N. 6th Street.

In response to the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, CHWC moved all services to virtual, continuing to serve a record number of new homebuyers and providing more than $100,000 in rent and utility assistance to families impacted by COVID-19.

Splitlog Farm continued to produce fresh local produce that was delivered to neighborhood residents in their homes.

CHWC began a partnership with Credit & Homeownership Empowerment Services (CHES) to provide improved counseling services to clients on both sides of the state line. 

CHWC launched Wyandotte County's first Community Land Trust (CLT), creating a new pathway to homeownership and offering a tool to preserve affordability for generations.

CHWC began piloting a minor home repair program to address housing quality, accessibility, and health for Wyandotte County residents.

In partnership with local artists and the downtown business district, CHWC launched the Third Friday Art Walk, drawing more than 1,000 neighbors together through a family-friendly street festival focused on the arts.

In partnership with MBL Development, CHWC completed the development of Brentwood Villas, providing much-needed senior housing to Olathe, KS while bringing resources back to Wyandotte County.

CHWC opened a Community Art Gallery next to EPIC Clay Studio, with rotating exhibits from artists near and far.

CHWC launched a Community Lending program, initially offering a down payment loan and a home repair loan. 

CHWC hired its first Home Repair Manager, scaling the home repair program to serve more homeowners with larger projects.

CHWC began building new homes in the Rivers Edge East neighborhood in Northeast KCK.

In partnership with Wyandotte High School, CHWC launched the Bulldog Builders program, offering local high school students the opportunity to learn about careers in the construction trades through hands-on experience on the jobsite.

CHWC updated its name to Build WyCo to better reflect its mission of building Wyandotte County neighborhoods that thrive for generations.

New name, new look — same focus on strong communities and empowered families.

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Build WyCo gained CDFI certification, strengthening our Community Lending program.

We also completed our first modular homes, adding a new construction method with increased efficiency and improved affordability for the buyer.

The work continues! Learn how you can support Build WyCo by clicking here.