Wisconsin Workforce Housing News

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Ken Harwood

Advocating for Wisconsin

HarwoodKen [at] gmail.com

Cell 608.334.2174

This Weeks Articles for 4/21/2025 ...

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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

Mayo living space approved by La Crosse council, needs additional action for zoning mismatch

Despite recent changes to some of La Crosse’s city zoning rules, the development planned for Mayo Health Clinic employee living quarters struggled to adhere to any one zoning type.

Thursday evening, the city council spent most of its discussion figuring out a solid path of approval for the project because it does not fit any city zoning regulations.

Many council members turned to planning director Andrea Trane for additional advice on how to approve a project like this. Trane suggested the council’s decision was more about declaring the council’s satisfaction with the project itself over its direct adherence to zoning codes...

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Bipartisan bill seeks to expand housing tax credits in rural Wisconsin

State`s low-income housing tax credit program may double under separate budget proposal

A new bipartisan bill aims to incentivize housing developments in rural Wisconsin.

It’s one of a pair of new bills aiming to address the state’s housing shortage. The other would raise lending limits for low-interest loan programs launched in a bipartisan push last year.

The tax credit bill directs the Wisconsin Housing and Economic Development Authority, or WHEDA, to give 35 percent of its annual credits to developments in rural areas and loosens financing restrictions for projects receiving credits...

See Also:

Local legislators co-sponsoring bipartisan bill seeking to expand housing tax credits in rural Wisconsin

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Ken Notes: What we need is a fund that allows communities to buy and provide infrastructure to new development and infill, then make the land available to developers deferring holding costs until the property sells. Communities would then either buy more land or repay the state. The community could plan for density, affordability, neighborhood design, mixed use, amenities... If you are wondering if this would work, industrial parks were built this way.

Three-Way Standoff on Workforce Housing in Milwaukee

What a mess.

With rising construction costs and elevated interest rates, everyone at Milwaukee City Hall seems to agree that some amount of subsidy is necessary to create a supply of new affordable and workforce housing. But the how and when are proving to be elusive.

The issue came to a head Tuesday during a Zoning, Neighborhoods & Development Committee meeting in an unusual three-way debate that featured the administration, council and a developer all making their case publicly.

Two resolutions request the Department of City Development(DCD) finalize amendments to two Walker’s Point tax incremental financing (TIF) districts. But the resolutions, as they appear in the city’s legislative records system, are only titles....

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Ken Notes: We need leadership from the state on this issues. Cities are trying their best but without direction they are struggling. Remember the basics Land, Infrastructure, Design, Size, Density, and Cost...

Brown County board gives Green Bay $3.5M for fire station, affordable housing project

GREEN BAY, WI (WTAQ-WLUK) — Brown County’s Board of Supervisors voted Wednesday night to give the city of Green Bay $3.5 million for a new fire station and affordable housing.

The project is at the former Badger Sheet Metal site in the 400 block of South Broadway.

The building would be a combined fire station and a 200-unit apartment building.

The county funds are from the American Rescue Plan Act. They need to be obligated before the end of September or have to be returned....

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Ken Notes: Mixing public use and affordable development is a great idea.

Wisconsin Workforce Housing Resources

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

See dozens more here:

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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...

Affordable housing complex approved for Odana Road strip mall

MADISON, Wis. (WMTV) - A strip mall on Madison’s west side will soon be converted into an apartment complex with more than 75 affordable housing units and 25 units dedicated to people experiencing homelessness.

The Dane County Board of Supervisors approved the project on April 10. A 124-unit apartment complex will replace the “White House Shoppes” at 6706-6714 Odana Road.

District 19 Alder John Guequierre said with some of the shops vacant after the pandemic, the space provides an opportunity to prioritize families in need of affordable housing.

“It’s particularly ideal because we have all the services we need here, we have the new BRT, so it’s very convenient for the people who will live here,” Guequierre said...

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Baraboo plans to renovate and expand low-income housing

The City of Baraboo approved to commit $1.5 million to the renovation, as well as $5.5 million to Driftless Lofts, a planned 56-unit lower-income development with two- and three-bedroom apartments, during its March 11 Common Council meeting.

Baraboo’s Community Development Authority, which owns Corson Square, is also looking to sell five affordable housing duplexes on the property to help fund the projects. Driftless Lofts is a roughly $17 million project, according to Ted Matkom, a representative for Oregon, Wisconsin-based developer Gorman and Company...

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Green Bay`s Red Smith neighborhood development to move forward, with a cap of 160 apartments

The Green Bay City Council on April 15 approved the Red Smith development project that has been met vocal opposition from neighbors over proposed apartments with the stipulation that developer Moski Corp. will not build more than the 160 units already proposed in its mixed-use development.

The additional language followed nearly 45 minutes of public comments sparring over many of the same points that have been brought up in previous city meetings on over 400 housing units proposed in Green Bay`s far northeast side. The need for affordable housing from several residents clashed with many neighbors` wishes to remain a neighborhood of single-family homes, worries of potential ecological damage, as well as traffic and safety concerns...

The Green Bay City Council approved the Red Smith redevelopment project with a 160-unit apartment cap after facing resident opposition.

Residents voiced concerns about affordable housing needs conflicting with the desire to maintain a single-family home neighborhood, potential environmental impact, and traffic and safety issues.

The developer, Moski Corp., assured the council of their commitment to the neighborhood and emphasized the importance of diverse housing options...

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Ken Notes: I say this every week, if you refuse to live near your barista you need to make your own damn coffee. We need more mixed neighborhoods and communities that house the workforce that sustains them.

Bipartisan housing programs have little to show. Legislators are working on fixes.

In 2023, state lawmakers created three workforce housing programs they said would boost house construction around Wisconsin.

They didn’t work as well as legislators hoped.

Out of a total allocation of $475 million, only $16.4 million has made it to development projects to date...

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Ken Notes: My "Fix"... Lend money to communities to buy land, design and zone for affordability, install infrastructure, solicit developers/builders to build smaller affordable homes, defer land and infrastructure cost until closing, then repay the city who either reinvests or returns funds to the state...

About Wisconsin Workforce Housing News (WWHNews.com)

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 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.

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.

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.

Ken Harwood

Editor / Publisher

Advocating for Wisconsin

WisconsinDevelopment.com

608.334.2174

harwoodken[at]gmail.com

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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...