A developer is seeking to build a new neighborhood with nearly 900 housing units in a mix of types, commercial uses, parks and green space on 128 acres of rolling farmland next to Pheasant Branch Conservancy in Middleton.
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Wisconsin Workforce Housing News | |||||||||
![]() Nate Zurawski Marketing and Communications WWHNews.com wwhnews.com[at]gmail.com 715.297.8336 Ken Harwood Advocating for Wisconsin HarwoodKen[at]gmail.com 608.334.2174 Released weekly in 2023. Details here! This Weeks Articles for 3/17/2023 ...
We are currently using the WisconsinDevelopment email list, please SUBSCRIBE to receive this weekly in the future! You may also subscribe associates at the link. ...Full Story HereCommunity Updates, News Stories, Best Practices, Resources, and other data supporting the development of affordable housing for the citizens of Wisconsin in every city and region in the State. Please consider partnering with us and sharing your story ![]() | |||||||||
Gov. Evers Budget Proposal Invests in Safe, Affordable Housing for Wisconsin Workers and Families | |||||||||
![]() Governor’s 2023-25 biennial budget proposal includes plans to promote local housing development and solutions, ensure renters have safe, stable housingMADISON — In his 2023-25 biennial budget proposal, Gov. Tony Evers is proposing several initiatives to promote local housing development and affordable housing solutions, as well as a comprehensive, multi-pronged package of initiatives designed to address the unique challenges facing Wisconsin renters, including renovating existing housing, improving rental unit safety, providing legal aid for evictions, and expanding renter protections. In his 2023-25 Biennial Budget Message, delivered last week, Gov. Evers highlighted a few of these initiatives and the need for quality, affordable housing in order to attract and retain talented workers to bolster Wisconsin’s workforce and continue the state’s economic momentum:
...Full Story HereKen Notes: First THANK YOU. Now the caveats for readers, First the budget is a work in progress - not a done deal, second renovation is expensive, sometimes actually more than starting over, third we need to work with communities, builders and developers to get this done or we will continue to see them build more profitable (read higher priced) units. It is about the margins, a friend whom I have promised anonymity told me, "Ken, there is more profit on JUST the quartz countertops in a 500K unit than there is in an entire 149K home." ![]() | |||||||||
Survey: 80% of Dane County residents say housing is not ‘attainable’ to all income levels | |||||||||
![]() A large majority of Dane County residents say the region lacks housing that’s attainable to all income levels, the results of a municipal survey indicate. Just under 61% of survey respondents said housing in the region is too expensive when asked about the barriers preventing them from “living in your preferred housing type,” according to survey findings. The state defines housing as being affordable when an occupant spends no more than 30% of their gross income on living costs, including utilities, according to the Wisconsin Housing Economic Development Authority. The Community Housing Survey, which wrapped up at the beginning of February and is part of a larger project to develop a housing strategy for Dane County, found that 80% of respondents did not think housing was attainable for all... Notes: It is clear as to what the problem is, now we need to focus on a variety of solutions. ![]() | |||||||||
Deregulation pitched as possible solution to affordable housing challenges | |||||||||
![]() “In most communities today, you can’t build the kind of housing that we all grew up in — at least in my generation,” Wisconsin Realtors Association President and CEO Mike Theo said yesterday during an event hosted by Competitive Wisconsin in West Bend. “You can’t build that kind of housing that you would call either workforce housing or affordable housing, if you will.” He argued the layers of regulations on new construction are “uneconomical” for builders to meet demand for this type of housing... ...Full Story Here Notes: Points well presented. Why can you not build a sub 1,000 square foot home on a permanent foundation and smaller lot in most communities in the state? We can develop personal wealth in our state by creating more opportunities for entry level ownership... ![]() | |||||||||
As Wisconsin confronts a housing shortage, some groups seek zoning changes to aid developers | |||||||||
![]() Real estate, conservative groups argue restrictive local zoning adds costs and delaysLobbyists for the real estate industry and a conservative law firm want lawmakers to remove hurdles for developers as Wisconsin faces a shortage of affordable housing. The Wisconsin Realtors Association and Wisconsin Institute for Law and Liberty, or WILL, argue restrictive zoning codes and an "unpredictable" approval process at the local level is adding costs and delays for developers that contributes to higher home prices. They called for changes to zoning codes that would allow projects to receive approval without special review by local governments as long as they comply with zoning standards. The process is often referred to as "by-right zoning" or development by right... Nate Notes: Traditional zoning practices have continually limited the housing market`s capacity to develop new homes for young people and for seniors, limiting availability and hindering architectural creativity. Laws and local ordinances will need to be changed in order to address the housing crisis and answer the increasing need for diverse housing solutions. ![]() | |||||||||
This South Milwaukee development is getting $2.5 million in ARPA funds to build affordable housing. Here`s what we know. | |||||||||
County Executive David Crowley signed a resolution March 7 allocating nearly $10 million in federal American Rescue Plan Act funds to four projects – two in Wauwatosa, one in Brown Deer and the South Milwaukee project proposed by Scott Crawford, Inc. and J. Jeffers & Co. to create apartments, commercial and green space... See Also: ![]() | |||||||||
Legislature works to address housing shortage | |||||||||
![]() We know that in Wisconsin we are not building enough housing to keep up with demand for our growing workforce. Housing costs and rents are rising faster than inflation and incomes and are becoming increasingly out of reach for the needs of those working in jobs that are vital to the success of our communities. Furthermore, businesses will hesitate to locate in areas where there is not adequate housing, and we in rural Wisconsin are well aware of that pressure. Nate Notes: The problem is most of what we are building is either rental property or far to expensive for much of our workforce. ![]() | |||||||||
Developer seeks to transform farmland to new neighborhood in Middleton | |||||||||
![]() A developer is proposing to create a new neighborhood on the former 128-acre Acker Farm between High and Pleasant Branch roads in Middleton. The proposal by High Road Development Co. would provide 893 housing units in a variety of types, commercial space and significant parkland. In the background is part of adjacent Pheasant Branch Conservancy. A developer is seeking to build a new neighborhood with nearly 900 housing units in a mix of types, commercial uses, parks and green space on 128 acres of rolling farmland next to Pheasant Branch Conservancy in Middleton. High Road Development Co., of Middleton, is proposing 444 apartment units in multiple buildings, 64 townhouses, 60 cottage homes, 24 two-flat condominiums, eight live-work units, 112 carriage homes and 155 single-family homes for the site north of Middleton Hills between High and Pheasant Branch roads... ‘Missing middle’The development, featuring a variety of housing types, puts a focus on the “missing middle,” seen as “diverse housing types that blend well into a traditional single-family neighborhood while creating affordability and walkability — options that are in demand in today’s shifting demographic,” Wuebben said. ...Full Story Here Ken Notes: This plan looks great. It will be interesting to see the pricing on the final units. Other developments have used the density and creativity to simply create smaller luxury units that cost far more that the ‘Missing middle’ can afford... ![]() | |||||||||
Nonprofit organization strives to create more affordable housing in Green Bay area | |||||||||
![]() (WLUK) -- A new nonprofit organization is focusing on creating more affordable housing for working people in the Green Bay area. The Gateway Collective is the organization, formed by St. John’s Ministries, and will focus on "socially inclusive housing." "It is combining the affordability that a family truly needs to live and survive with intentional onsite community and support," says Gateway Collective Executive Director Alexia Wood. "It`s bringing the benefits of community and combining it with affordability."... ...Full Story Here![]() | |||||||||
NewPoint Provides $20.6M in Construction Financing for Milwaukee Affordable Housing Development | |||||||||
![]() ...Full Story Here Ken Notes: These are nice projects, but we need to focus on ownership and wealth building. In so many of these projects the wealth or capitol gains ends up with the developer, and while I love developers our workforce need to build there own nest egg... ![]() | |||||||||
WWHNews.com Partners | |||||||||
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Why housing and child care cost too much | |||||||||
![]() Excessive taxes, fees and regulations are making affordability impossible.On housing and child care, Minnesotans face higher costs than many other Americans. In 2019, the average Minnesota family paid over $16,000 to keep a child at a day care center for the whole year, the sixth-highest annual cost for center-based infant care in the United States. For 4-year-olds, the average family paid over $12,000, seventh-highest. In 2017, it was reported that "Outside coastal states like New York and California, the Twin Cities was No. 1 in housing costs among the nation`s 20 largest metro areas, according to 2014 U.S. Census data. And they have remained at or near the top of other cost-comparison surveys since then... WWHNews Notes: We question the subtitle because we can make housing affordable by building smaller more affordable units. Regulations may need to change to allow denser neighborhoods but in Wisconsin taxes are tied to value. We need to work with developers and builders to incentivize building more affordable units. The apartment market demonstrates that it is possible... ![]() | |||||||||
Lawmakers weigh in as Wauwatosa asks state to undo racial covenants | |||||||||
![]() The fate of decades-old racially restrictive housing covenants in parts
of Wisconsin is now up to the state. Earlier this month, the city of
Wauwatosa’s common council unanimously voted
to move towards dissolving the restrictions against selling properties
to nonwhites or non-Christians that still remain on some property deeds. A resolution
passed by the council urges Gov. Tony Evers and the state Legislature
to craft new laws formally removing the covenants and to close a dark
chapter of the city’s history... Nate Notes: Access to housing is necessary for all communities to maintain, grow, and develop. It is unfortunate that the history of housing development has such overt mechanisms of racial discrimination, but that does not mean we cannot make changes and do better moving forward... ![]() | |||||||||
Gov. Evers` budget proposes funding for housing. Here is what it`s for. | |||||||||
Wisconsin Gov. Tony Evers’ budget proposal puts billions of dollars in funding from general purpose revenue and other sources toward housing programs around environment-related issues, home rehabilitation, workforce housing and more. He also made policy recommendations, such as an amendment to allow municipalities to enact their own rental market regulations to "determine the appropriate balance of rights and protections for landlords and tenants.".... ...Full Story HereKen Notes: This may be more than a money problem. It is a margin problem. If the profit is in mare expensive homes or government subsidized rental housing why would a developer build smaller units for purchase. Until communities own the land and restrict what can be build we will remain where we are. Also we need to plan neighborhoods with a variety of inventory so we are not segregating our communities even more. And of course the budget is not a done deal anyway. ![]() | |||||||||
City Enacts New Development Bonus for Affordable Housing Downtown | |||||||||
![]() The downtown zoning code includes both a maximum building height and a maximum number of stories in a building. The number of stories correlates closely with height limits in commercial buildings, but leaves some room on the table for residential buildings that normally have shorter floor heights than commercial buildings. The result is that residential buildings rarely reach the height limits. That is changing now with the adoption of the affordable housing “floor bonus.”... ![]() | |||||||||
Wisconsin receives nearly $100M for housing and community development. How much will your hometown get? | |||||||||
Here, we break down what that means for the state: What are the Community Planning and Development Formula Grants?Community planning and development formula grants are federal monies used to provide safe and affordable housing, and expand economic opportunities for people with low-to-moderate incomes. The grants include community development block grants, HOME investment partnership grants, emergency solutions grants, housing opportunities for persons with HIV/AIDS and housing trust fund grants... ![]() | |||||||||
Experts say state, local government can help lower cost of new home construction | |||||||||
![]() Experts say state and local government entities can help address Wisconsin’s affordable housing shortage by helping to cover related infrastructure costs. Kurt Paulsen, a professor of urban planning at UW-Madison, spoke
yesterday during a joint hearing of the Senate Committee on Housing,
Rural Issues and Forestry and Assembly Committee on Housing and Real
Estate. He and other speakers highlighted the statewide shortage of
affordable housing, particularly in major employment hubs, as well as
potential solutions to this problem... Ken Notes: True but remember even if you cover all the costs and provide the infrastructure for more affordable cost you can still get 459K homes on 60 foot lots with no basements... ![]() | |||||||||
Why new housing rules stir so much trouble in Madison | |||||||||
![]() It’s too many, in their opinion. “My first house here I abandoned in 2000 because I felt forced out of the neighborhood by students who would ask me, ‘Why do you live in the student neighborhood?’” Rosner said. “Well, I got here before you did.”... ...Full Story Here ![]() | |||||||||
The High School Equivalency Program (HEP) | |||||||||
The High School Equivalency Program (HEP) is an educational program targeted to help migrant and seasonal farm workers and their immediate family members earn a GED/HSED. HEP classes are offered in English and Spanish. Contact us:
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More affordable housing units coming to Milwaukee County suburbs, partly thanks to ARPA money | |||||||||
![]() That`s thanks to nearly $10 million in federal money that county government has steered toward projects in Wauwatosa, Brown Deer and South Milwaukee. There could also be state action this year on affordable housing. Milwaukee County Executive David Crowley said making sure more county residents have access to safe, stable and affordable housing is a top priority. He remembered what things were like growing up in a low-income family in Milwaukee... Ken Notes: Remember the key is ownership and wealth building. A service or retail worker who is forced to rent for 40 years has little or nothing at the end of the day... ![]() | |||||||||
Women Builders `On the Case` | |||||||||
![]() ...Full Story Here Ken Notes: I am such a Habitat fan! Ownership, low cost affordable, owner participation, in mixed neighborhoods, no funds that have strings. Perfect... ![]() | |||||||||
$27M Senior Affordable Housing Complex Coming to Sheboygan River Watch Neighborhood | |||||||||
![]() The project is to be built on land between Illinois and Indiana Avenue, bordered by South 10th Street to the west and the riverfront on the east. Rates on the units will be subject to income and rent restrictions and subsidized by 4% Low-Income Housing Tax Credits from the Wisconsin Housing and Economic Development Authority... ![]() | |||||||||
City of Madison addresses contamination concerns at former Oscar Mayer campus | |||||||||
![]() Notes: These sites are great opportunities for community controlled development, we do need to ensure safety but they present great opportunity for working with developers to get the units needed. ![]() | |||||||||
Tribal Supportive Housing Institute to Focus on Wisconsin`s Native Communities | |||||||||
![]() The tribal institute will provide 7-10 teams made up of developers, social service providers, property managers, and other key tribal staff with technical assistance and training to take a supportive housing development from an idea to reality. The institute will be held over six months with training each month being held in-person or virtually... ...Full Story Here ![]() | |||||||||
Capital budget would offload 4 state office buildings | |||||||||
![]() Gov. Tony Evers wants to offload four state office buildings as part of Wisconsin`s next budget. That includes three facilities in downtown Madison and another in Milwaukee. The proposals, released this week in an update to the Department of Administration`s Vision 2030 plan, are part of a push to consolidate and relocate staff as more state employees work remotely. In all, officials say Wisconsin would save more than $500 million in deferred maintenance costs by offloading the buildings, and DOA Secretary Kathy Blumenfeld characterized the proposed moves as a "win-win for taxpayers and state workers."... ...Full Story HereKen Notes: DHFS should be a hotel, but the GEF buildings wold make great workforce housing units... ![]() | |||||||||
Wisconsin Workforce Housing Resources | |||||||||
![]() Nate Notes: to be included as a Workforce Housing resource email us a link and a brief note to: wwhnews.com@gmail.com... ![]() | |||||||||
Brown County United Way named new partner for City East Development | |||||||||
BCUW believes that ‘Place Matters.’ Through its Thriving Neighborhoods Initiative, BCUW identified four neighborhoods (Downtown, Joannes Park, Navarino and Whitney Park) for its targeted investment to support and build thriving neighborhoods... ...Full Story Here ![]() | |||||||||
Madison Common Council eases limits on unrelated people renting homes together | |||||||||
![]() Supporters of the change say existing ordinance discriminated against renters, lower-income Madisonians amid housing affordability crisisMadison`s Common Council is easing limits on the number of unrelated people who can live together in neighborhoods dominated by single-family homes. Supporters of the changes, which passed in a 13-6 vote Tuesday night, say those restrictions limited housing options as the city struggles with a housing affordability crisis. In more than a third of the city, the existing zoning restrictions prohibited any more than two unrelated tenants from living together in homes not occupied by the owner. In those same areas, which are generally home to a majority of single-family residences, no more than five unrelated people could live together as long as the home is owner-occupied... Notes: As non-traditional living arrangements become more common in the United States to find affordable accommodations, it will be imperative to recognize these blended households. ![]() | |||||||||
Republican legislators take aim at local zoning rules to address Wisconsin’s housing shortage | |||||||||
![]() Earlier this year, Madison residents mounted a campaign against the city’s efforts to change zoning rules to allow higher density apartments near future stops on the soon-to-be-built Bus Rapid Transit line. Another effort in Madison would stop a developer’s proposal for a new apartment complex, by attempting to get a historical landmark designation for a former credit union building because former President Harry Truman dedicated the structure in 1950.... ...Full Story Here Ken Notes: NIMBY, preservation, margins, holding costs, segregation, transit, infrastructure, diversity, politics, and so much more suggest this is NOT a simple problem... ![]() | |||||||||
Solve the people problem in rural Wisconsin | |||||||||
![]() There are simply not enough people to go around, or rather not enough workingage families replacing those who have left the workforce due to well-earned retirement. Employers are seeing this with recruitment efforts for all levels of positions on a near constant basis. School officials talk about applicant pools that used to have dozens of people vying for a position, and now have positions that get a handful of applicants or none at all. The deeper the pool of applicants the better the chances of getting a truly outstanding employee. Industry human resources directors bemoan the quality of candidates or complain of their best workers being poached by competitors offering better compensation packages. .. ![]() | |||||||||
LIHTC, NHTC, MIHTC Extolled as Necessary Tools to Address Affordable Housing Supply Gap During Senate Finance Hearing, Wyden Reintroduces DASH Act | |||||||||
![]() During the hearing titled, Tax Policy’s Role in Increasing Affordable Housing Supply for Working Families, senators and witnesses discussed the ways in which the federal government has used tax policy to address the nation’s housing problems, and provided recommendations on how current policies could be improved and enhanced. In preparation for the hearing, the Joint Committee on Taxation released a report on March 3 titled Present Law And Background Relating To Residential Real Estate that provides general background on the tax provisions related to residential—both rental and owner-occupied—housing... ![]() | |||||||||
Madison rent hikes cause housing scramble | |||||||||
![]() As a result, some housing advocates are saying long-time residents are being displaced as new developments take over. “It’s all fine and well if you end up having really nice shiny, expensive buildings, but if you don’t have the people who make up the character of the city living there, then what do you have? Just very shiny, pretty buildings,” Sunmi Famele, resource strategist for the Progress Center for Black Women, said. Famele says two-thirds of the women she works with are struggling with housing issues... ![]() | |||||||||
About Wisconsin Workforce Housing News (WWHNews.com) | |||||||||
![]() This is true in big cities and small rural communities. Both the availability and price of housing is not in line with the needs of those working in jobs that are vital to the success of our communities. Imagine a firefighter, teacher, city employee, service, or retail worker not able to afford a home in the community they serve. We aggregate news and highlight programs that are working to provide affordable workforce housing in Wisconsin. We advocate for state and local policies that improve the more affordable housing markets. We encourage developers to build new homes that are affordable for those working for Wisconsin while still making a fair profit on the work they do. We encourage communities and neighborhoods to become partners in meeting these needs. We highlight what others have done as a form of "Best Practices" in the State and Country. Finally, we provide direct links to resources and programs in the State. Safe, affordable housing makes a difference in the lives of children and families impacting both education and health. We are supporting affordable housing because it is good for business, good for families, good for communities, and good for Wisconsin.
Nate Zurawski Marketing and Communications Director Wisconsin Workforce Housing News 715.297.8336 wwhnews.com[at]gmail.com Eric Giordano Executive Director Wisconsin Institute for Public Policy and Service 715.261.6388 egiordano[at]uwsa.edu Ken Harwood Editor / Publisher Advocating for Wisconsin 608.334.2174 harwoodken[at]gmail.com Find us on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/groups/14199454/ Find us on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/WorkforceHousingNews ![]() | |||||||||
List of Housing Resources | |||||||||
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WWHNEWS Notes: To add a resource or correct above send data and link to wwhnews.com[at]gmail.com... ![]() |