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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

Recent changes to a tax credit program add flexibility as state officials try to incentivize investments in workforce housing and childcare...

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Leo'a notes: Incentivizing businesses to invest in housing beyond their own employees could bring an important new source of private capital into community housing efforts. Solving the workforce housing shortage will require employers to become active partners, not simply beneficiaries of new supply.

Ken Notes: Link to WEDC Seminar video at the link.

Wisconsin is awarding $50 million to support 22 housing developments that are expected to create nearly 1,900 affordable housing units across the state.

Gov. Tony Evers and the Wisconsin Housing and Economic Development Authority announced the awards Wednesday. The projects span 10 counties and will receive funding through the state’s Vacancy-to-Vitality, Infrastructure Access and Restore Main Street loan programs.

The programs were created through bipartisan legislation signed by Evers in 2023 and supported by $525 million included in the 2023-25 state budget for workforce housing.

“Expanding access to safe, stable, and affordable housing is a key part of our work to support kids and families, strengthen our communities, and grow our state’s workforce,” ...

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Leo's notes: Wisconsin’s latest $50 million investment shows the value of targeting the specific financing gaps that keep otherwise viable housing from moving forward. With nearly 1,900 units supported through adaptive reuse, infrastructure and Main Street redevelopment programs, the state is demonstrating that workforce housing requires more than a single funding tool. Flexible capital that responds to different development barriers is essential to turning housing demand into actual supply.

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Leo's notes: This Wisconsin project is a useful reminder that middle-income housing should not be treated as a lesser design exercise. SALA HARS demonstrates how thoughtful planning, durable materials and architectural character can be incorporated into housing intended for working households—an important counterpoint to the idea that affordability must come at the expense of quality. As Wisconsin expands workforce housing production, the goal should be not simply more units, but well-designed homes and neighborhoods that remain desirable for generations.

Ken Notes: READ THIS ARTICLE. We need an array of housing solutions and this one is unique.

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	Couleecap
Wisconsin Housing Alliance	Office of Rural Prosperity Wisconsin Economic Development	Tiny Timbers Neighborhood

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

LA CROSSE, Wis. (WKBT) -- Governor Tony Evers announced $50 million to support 22 new housing developments across 10 counties, including La Crosse County, according to a release on Wednesday.

The funding is provided by the Vacancy-to-Vitality, Infrastructure Access, and Restore Main Street loan programs from the Wisconsin housing and Economic Development Authority (WHEDA). It will help create nearly 1,900 workforce housing units for communities across Wisconsin.

“Expanding access to safe, stable, and affordable housing is a key part of our work to support kids and families, strengthen our communities, and grow our state’s workforce,” said Evers. “I’m proud of our efforts to build affordable housing statewide—to the tune of over 35,000 new units—that will help communities grow, and workers, families, and seniors thrive. Together, we are building the future we want to see for folks and communities across our state.” ...

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Leo's notes: WHEDA financing for Copper Rocks helps move La Crosse’s long-planned redevelopment of the former Kmart site closer to reality, turning an obsolete commercial property into a mixed-use neighborhood with new housing. Projects like this show why workforce housing programs must do more than support greenfield construction—they should also help communities overcome the cost barriers to reclaiming underused sites. Strategic financing can turn yesterday’s commercial spaces into tomorrow’s housing supply...

MADISON, Wis. (WKOW) — Madison officials and the Lotus Company presented a proposed 200-unit affordable housing redevelopment at the Essen House and Come Back In site on South Blair and East Wilson streets.

The proposal outlined a multi-step approval process and drew neighborhood concerns about parking, density, design and historic preservation.

People who live in the area questioned the limited parking supply, traffic exiting to Blair Street, height and shadow impacts on adjacent condos and whether the design would overwhelm the historic neighborhood.

"Every single picture or rendering of the development is enormous compared to the neighborhood, and I just want to make a note of that because it's going to overwhelm the neighborhood," Madison resident Laura Heiple said.

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Leo's notes: The proposed 200-unit redevelopment presents Madison with the familiar challenge of balancing neighborhood concerns with the urgent need to add housing in well-connected, high-demand areas. Design, historic context and transportation impacts deserve thoughtful consideration, but density is also what makes it possible to meaningfully expand affordable housing on scarce urban land. The strongest outcome will be a project that responds to its surroundings without losing the housing production that makes the redevelopment worthwhile.

Ken Notes: Developers "maxed out" the site because it is a valuable piece of land...

WHEDA awards will help create about 300 apartments, from City Campus to Mitchell Street.

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Leo's notes: More than $11 million in housing tax credits flowing to Milwaukee County demonstrates both the scale of the region’s housing need and the number of projects positioned to respond. Importantly, the awards support everything from new construction to adaptive reuse and rehabilitation, reinforcing that solving the workforce housing shortage requires both adding new homes and preserving existing affordable supply. To be more spread throughout the state, rural communities must pair local development capacity with these varied and dependable financing tools...

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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...