Citizens State Bank & Trust Company in Ellsworth has been honored. The bank recently received the inaugural Regional Housing Champion Award for Kansas at the FHLBank Topeka regional meeting.

According to the bank, along with its foundational mission to provide liquidity to members to support communities, FHLBank also has a dual mandate to support affordable housing and community development. In partnership with members like Citizens State Bank, FHLBank has provided more than $136 million in Kansas to support 20,527 housing units since 1990 through its Affordable Housing Program and TurnKey down payment assistance programs.

“We are proud to honor Citizens State Bank & Trust Company,” said Kylie Mergen, Community Investment Officer, Director of Housing and Community Development. “They have partnered with FHLBank Topeka in multiple ways to improve their community through our housing and community development programs. It’s clear they are a housing champion in the communities they serve in north central Kansas.”

Citizens State Bank has helped homebuyers with $345,000 in down payment and closing cost assistance through FHLBank Topeka’s TurnKey programs from 2020 to 2024. They have also borrowed through FHLBank Topeka’s reduced-cost advance programs – the Community Housing and Development Programs. With $41 million in commitments, they’ve impacted 12 housing units and created or retained 390 jobs.

“We recognize a strong symmetry between the FHLBank programs offered and the needs of our communities that we serve,” said Troy Soukup, president and CEO of Citizens Bank & Trust Company. “This alignment makes FHLBank a natural partner for our bank, enabling us to effectively support and uplift our community together.”