...Full Story Here

Community 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

MADISON - We all want Madison to be affordable for teachers and firefighters, bus drivers and baristas, nurses and mechanics – all of the people who make this City such an amazing place to live and work. And we all know that when there are not enough homes in our city, these people get priced out. If we want a community that is culturally, racially, and economically diverse, we have to build more homes, and we have to make those homes affordable for ordinary working people.???  

A mix of homes – of all sizes and prices – gives more people a chance to own their home, build wealth, and provide a solid foundation of economic stability and opportunity for themselves and the next generation.

Three new proposals will make it easier to build the types of smaller homes that we used to build and already see in many of the City’s more established neighborhoods. They will also simplify the permit process for some types of housing to lower the risks of building it. These steps will help create enough homes so that people from all walks of life can live all around our city.

• Proposal 1: Allow duplexes, or twin homes, in all residential areas

• Proposal 2: Allow more property owners with deep residential lots to split those lots, creating “Backyard Lots”

• Proposal 3: Simplify the permit process for small and medium sized housing developments downtown...

   ...Full Story Here

Leo`s Notes: Madison’s 2025 Housing Forward proposals are a bold, sensible step toward a more inclusive and affordable city. By legalizing duplexes citywide, easing lot splits for backyard homes, and simplifying downtown permitting, these reforms will unlock more housing options for everyday residents—teachers, nurses, service workers, and seniors alike. If we want a diverse and thriving Madison, we must build for it. How do you think this can be applied to YOUR COMMUNITY?

MILWAUKEE (CBS 58) -- A press conference was held at City Hall Monday, July 7, calling for the immediate passage of the Housing Element plan. 

Community leaders discussed areas of concern such as housing costs and public safety. 

According to a poll by Together for Homes, more than 80% of Milwaukee residents believe the city does not have enough affordable housing. 

The plan is a "Milwaukee first" approach, tailored toward long-time residents throughout the city....

   ...Full Story Here

Leo’s notes: Milwaukee’s housing shortage is clear—and residents are calling for bold, local solutions. The Housing Element plan offers a “Milwaukee first” path forward, prioritizing long-time residents and essential workers who are being priced out of their own neighborhoods. Swift adoption by the Common Council is not just timely—it’s necessary.

LA CROSSE, Wis. (WLAX/WEUX) – The city of La Crosse will soon begin work on a housing development to help with affordable housing. The project will also serve residents with disabilities. That project comes with a hefty price tag. To that end, Haven for Special People and Couleecap have begun the public phase of their $4.2 million fundraising campaign. The campaign will support the $23.5 million Haven on Main housing development.

The development will have 70 units of one, two, and three-bedroom apartments. 59 of the units will be for people living on a fixed income due to disability. Couleecap Executive Director Hetti Brown said, “This is a new and unique housing development that will provide independent living options for adults with disabilities, alongside the general population without disabilities in an inclusive 70-unit apartment building.”

Brown hopes that Haven on Main can serve as an example to other communities....   ...Full Story Here

Leo’s notes: Haven on Main is a transformative step forward for La Crosse—filling a long-overlooked gap in housing for adults with disabilities while advancing inclusive, affordable living for all. As communities across the state seek innovative housing models, this project offers both inspiration and a call to action: everyone deserves a safe, supported place to call home.

Ken Notes: Because we live in the La Crosse area, Leo and I will be following this one closely.

ENABLING BETTER PLACES: A USER’S GUIDE TO WISCONSIN NEIGHBORHOOD AFFORDABILITY	WHEDA’s Rural Affordable Workforce Housing Initiative	Wisconsin REALTORS® Association
WISCAP Affordable Housing Network	Division of Energy, Housing and Community Resources	Housing Authority City of Milwaukee (HACM)
Wisconsin Housing Preservation Corp	WEDA Legislative Tracker	NRA Housing Needs By State / Wisconsin

   ...Full Story Here

Nate Notes: to be included as a Workforce Housing resource email us a link and a brief note to: wwhnews.com@gmail.com...

GREEN BAY (WLUK) -- A local nonprofit is working to get ahead of homelessness in Northeast Wisconsin by increasing the number of affordable living options.

Many working class people are just above the poverty line, living paycheck to paycheck. City Center Lofts in downtown Green Bay opened nearly a year ago -- and the question is, will this limit homelessness?

The Gateway Collective is working to bring affordable housing to renters living just above the poverty line...

See Also:

$16M plan would add 95 workforce housing units in new Green Bay neighborhood

   ...Full Story Here

Leo’s notes: City Center Lofts is redefining what affordable housing can look like—offering not just stability, but a path forward. By serving renters just above the poverty line and investing in their long-term success through programs like rent-to-savings, the Gateway Collective is building more than housing—it`s building opportunity and dignity for working families.

BELOIT, Wis. — Like many communities throughout Wisconsin, Beloit is actively working to build more apartments and homes to meet a growing demand for housing.

What You Need To Know

• Developers are building the Western Hills subdivision, which consists of 23 single-family homes. Each one of those homes sold within a week or two of being listed


• Now, a larger 138-home subdivision is on the way, after the city awarded a $1 million market-rate housing incentive to another developer


• The city also set aside $6 million in a Tax Increment Financing (TIF) Housing Fund, which uses taxpayer revenue to create more affordable housing options for people with lower incomes


• Beloit’s former YMCA is being converted into apartments and so are the upper floors of some storefronts downtown

The city’s population has grown for a second year in a row.

When George and June Arrowood decided to move back to Beloit from Tennessee to be closer to their grandkids, they quickly realized that finding a home was going to be difficult.

“There weren’t very many options at all,” June Arrowood said.

“We found out that renting is probably, in the long run, more expensive than buying around here, which is terrible,” George Arrowood added.

As they were looking, developers began building the Western Hills subdivision, which consists of 23 single-family homes. Each one of those homes sold within a week or two of being listed. The Arrowoods are the proud owners of one of them.

See Also:

Madison company gets extension on $3 million in city incentives

   ...Full Story Here

Leo’s notes: Beloit’s proactive approach to housing—pairing incentives for market-rate development with targeted investments in affordability—is a promising model for fast-growing communities. As vacancy rates tighten and demand surges, the city’s commitment to both economic growth and housing equity is key to ensuring all residents can find a place to call home.

GREEN BAY (WLUK) -- The first housing project in a new neighborhood on Green Bay`s east side could break ground next month.

It`s on 26 acres of land, between the Kroc Center and Walmart, that JBS Foods donated to the city during the coronavirus pandemic.

Roads, sidewalks and utilities have been going in over the past few months. Next will be 95 workforce housing units.

A city committee provided initial approval for a development agreement for the project Tuesday afternoon...

   ...Full Story Here

Leo’s notes: The Grand Boulevard Apartments mark a major step forward in addressing Green Bay’s “missing middle” housing gap. By leveraging public-private partnerships and thoughtful land use, this development brings attainable housing to working families while setting the stage for a vibrant, mixed-income neighborhood. It’s a smart, catalytic investment in community and economic stability.

In the `80s, Bob Duffy was a student at Oconomowoc Middle School. Today, that middle school building is a 55-unit apartment building that was restored with historical preservation, and Duffy is the president of the Oconomowoc Historical Society and Museum.

The school was originally built in 1922, and in 2013, historic and affordable housing tax credits allowed for the $10.9 million transformation of the old school into the Oconomowoc School Apartments.

Duffy said anytime there`s an opportunity to create an adaptive reuse to that type of structure, it`s beneficial to the community.

   ...Full Story Here

RIVER FALLS — The River Falls Plan Commission heard about a proposed Powell Avenue housing development and received a presentation on national, state, regional and local housing markets.

The development proposal is for 12 twin homes totaling 24 units. Twenty of the units would be accessed through a new branch off Powell Avenue, while the final four will be located directly on Woodridge Drive. City Council will review the plan during the July 22 meeting.

According to Senior Planner Harley Mehlhorn, the 7.2-acre area was annexed into the city in May and the Park Board voted to collect a fee in lieu of land for park dedication in June.

The developer agreed to pay a fee in lieu of park space, meaning the development will pay rather than having the required amount of green space due to its proximity to Collins Park. The developer also committed to constructing an enhanced crossing for Powell Avenue to Collins Park, to which Plan Commission Chair Diane Odeen asked what it would entail...

   ...Full Story Here

Across Wisconsin many employees can simply not afford to live where they work.

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 believe Wisconsin employers will support these efforts so they can successfully recruit workers to fill the thousands of job openings now hampered by a shortage of affordable housing.


   ...Full Story Here

   ...Full Story Here

WWHNEWS Notes: To add a resource or correct above send data and link to wwhnews.com[at]gmail.com...