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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

Experts estimate that more than 100,000 Wisconsin residents live in manufactured homes, the more accurate name for what many call mobile homes or trailers — structures that make up the country’s largest portion of unsubsidized low-income housing. Many live in parks where they own their homes but rent the land beneath them.

But Wisconsin’s government is failing to enforce basic protections for residents at a time when private equity firms are buying up parks to maximize profits, a Wisconsin Watch/WPR investigation found.

Wisconsin law requires operators to keep parks “in a clean, safe, orderly and sanitary condition at all times.” The Department of Safety and Professional Services (DSPS) is supposed to enforce that law and licensing standards. But it rarely inspects parks, allows many to go unlicensed and doesn’t even know which parks are operating...   ...Full Story Here

Leo's notes: As private equity increasingly acquires parks, residents — who often cannot afford to relocate their homes — face growing instability with few clear avenues for recourse. This highlights a critical gap: preserving affordability without enforcing standards is not true housing stability. If manufactured housing is to remain a viable part of the affordability solution, Wisconsin must modernize oversight, strengthen tenant protections and treat this sector as essential infrastructure — not an afterthought.

Ken Notes: If the Wisconsin Legislature really wanted to make a difference in housing in Wisconsin they would draft regulations requiring investors to maintain clean safe home sites for their residents or lose the property. Also provide for a safe way to report abuse without fear of reprisal.

Northmarq’s Chicago Investment Sales team led by Alex Malzone, Parker Stewart, Dominic Martinez and Jake Lamb, in collaboration with its Chicago Debt + Equity team led by Brett Hood and Kevin McCarthy, successfully arranged the sale and acquisition financing of Douglas Terrace Apartments, a 202-unit garden apartment community located at 3706 Douglas Ave. in Racine, Wisconsin.

Northmarq completed the $23 million sale representing the seller, MLG Capital LLC. The buyer was a private capital group from Illinois...   ...Full Story Here

Leo's notes: transactions like this highlight a key dynamic: existing workforce housing is not only in short supply, but increasingly viewed as a stable, high-performing investment opportunity. While capital flowing into these assets reinforces their value, it also reinforces the urgency for communities to preserve and expand workforce housing inventory so affordability is not eroded as demand — and investor interest — continues to rise.

Duluth’s inventory of affordable housing expanded on Friday with the grand opening of two new supportive housing developments: Wadena West and Welch Place Apartments.

Located next to each other on 52nd Avenue West, the new buildings offer a total of 90 units designated for single adults experiencing homelessness. As supportive housing, the apartments pair affordable rent with on?site services designed to help residents stabilize and rebuild their lives...

...The $31 million project was funded through a blend of local, state, and federal support. Major contributors included: Minnesota Housing, St. Louis County, City of Duluth, and Private investment partners...

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Leo's notes: As communities look to reduce homelessness long-term, investments like this demonstrate how housing, health and social services must work together to create lasting outcomes. Affordable housing alone is not enough for the most vulnerable populations — supportive services must be integrated into the model.

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
Wisconsin Housing Alliance	Office of Rural Prosperity Wisconsin Economic Development

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

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Leo's notes: this is a strong example of using TIF not just for projects, but as a sustained housing ecosystem tool — supporting both supply and stability. For growing communities like DeForest, balancing new development with resident retention will be critical to maintaining long-term affordability and community continuity.

From shared meals to shared tools, cohousing offers a vision of lower-cost, community-centered living. While that vision is taking hold in the UK, communities in the US face barriers that drive up costs and limit who can participate.

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Notes: Leo's notes: While traditionally costly in the U.S., emerging models that pair cohousing with tools like community land trusts or retrofit existing neighborhoods are beginning to lower barriers and expand access. Simply put, affordability is not just about unit cost, but about shared resources, reduced space needs, and social infrastructure. If integrated with proven affordability tools, cohousing could become a meaningful part of the “missing middle” solution — blending housing supply with stronger, more resilient communities...

STEVENS POINT, Wis. (WKOW) -- The U.S. Department of Agriculture Rural Development announced new funding for home repairs in 11 Wisconsin counties. The initiative is meant to assist low to very low-income homeowners with essential health and safety updates.

"Under the leadership of President Donald Trump and Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins, USDA Rural Development is committed to ensuring safe, affordable housing for rural Wisconsinites," said Andrew C. Iverson, Wisconsin state director. "Every Wisconsinite deserves a safe place to call home. This investment makes it more affordable for families, seniors and individuals with disabilities to remain in their homes with the accessibility and security that is needed so they can live independently."..

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Leo's notes: Local partners, including Habitat for Humanity affiliates, will use the funding to improve safety, energy efficiency and accessibility for dozens of households. This program is a reminder that preservation is one of the most cost-effective housing strategies available— especially in rural markets where new construction is limited. Helping residents stay safely in their homes not only stabilizes communities, but also protects existing affordable housing stock that would be far more expensive to replace...

Construction could start by late summer on an affordable apartment community near a long-closed Walmart store in Milwaukee‘s central city.

The 100-unit first phase of Midtown Commons is planned for a parking lot east of North 60th Street and north of West Hope Avenue.

That’s just north of the Walmart, 5825 W. Hope Ave., which closed in 2016, and south of a former Lowe’s store converted in 2018 into a distribution center for Sellars Absorbent Materials, 5800 W. Hope Ave.

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Ken Notes: We should require that development sites have an exit strategy so that the locations do not remain vacant for years. This could be a key in providing more workforce housing in a region. And for our community development leaders this can be built into you development agreements. We almost always fail to think about what happens when, especially when a shiny new project is promising great retail, office or other use and the new tax revenue that comes with it.

Did you know that Walmart typically plans for an initial occupancy period of 15 to 20 years when developing new projects. While their buildings are often designed with a specific structural lifespan of roughly 15 to 30 years...

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.


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