Carissa Paxton settles in as housing director
Three days into her tenure as Hutchinson’s Housing Director, Carissa Paxton exudes enthusiasm as she paused from non-stop meetings for an interview Thursday morning in her city hall office.
“When I read the job description for this position, it sounded like it was made for me,” Paxton said with a laugh. She was especially intrigued that the job involved governmental affairs, community engagement and real estate in that all three have a special interest to her.
As a child growing up in Hutchinson, Paxton said she developed a keen interest in anything involving housing through her father who was a home inspector and often accompanied him on inspections.
And, she is proud to say she has lived all but one year of her life in Hutchinson. Following a move to Colorado as a teenager, Carissa returned with her husband, (Tyler) and put down roots in the Salt City.
At age 20, as a young married couple, the Paxtons contemplated purchasing their first home. Carissa, who has a passion for research at all levels, discovered an existing housing grant program in Hutchinson, which offered applicants the opportunity to receive a $7,500 grant for the purchase of a first home, with the stipulation the recipient be required to live at least five years in the house.
The Paxtons signed on the dotted line, received the grant, and kept their end of the bargain by residing in the home for the required period.
Grant writing will be an important requirement of her new position, an opportunity she will relish.
“There are a large number of grants available to cities and towns wishing to apply,” Paxton said. “The challenge is to make a compelling case that our community is a deserving recipient for grant dollars.”
Since 2020, Paxton’s career path has kept her on a full schedule leading up to the Housing Director’s position. Armed with a degree from Hutchinson Community College in Business Management and Entrepreneurship, she, in 2021, joined Reece Nichols of South-Central Kansas as a realtor and served as the Youth Leadership Program Coordinator at Rise Up Reno Prevention Network. In January 2023, she was named a commissioner for the Hutchinson Housing Commission.
Interim City Manager Mary Grace Clements praised Paxton’s qualifications for the position she now holds.
“Carissa’s proven leadership and dedication to community service make her an ideal choice for this critical role,” Clements said.
It comes as no surprise that Paxton has penciled out a list of goals for her new position along with plans to implement each.
“We need to work to make certain we have sufficient housing for Hutchinson as we move forward with big economic development projects underway,” Carissa said. “Also, we need to determine ways to use Infill Development areas (empty lots) in the city, and I commend organizations such as New Beginnings, Interfaith Housing and the United Way of Reno County for their efforts in addressing this issue.”
Soon, she will be crisscrossing the city for collaboration and community engagement with Hutchinson’s residents to seek feedback on what they feel is best for the city going forward. Starting in mid-May, Housing Assessment will be underway in Hutchinson including listening sessions with the city’s residents.
And, her plans include outreach to officials in South Bend, Indiana; Topeka and Claremore, Oklahoma, who have successfully dealt with issues like the ones in Hutchinson.
“Hutchinson is an amazing city and I love this town,” she said. “We have great people and resources.”
Carissa and Tyler Paxton are the parents of two children, a son, and a daughter.
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