...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

A study from UW-Oshkosh found local zoning changes seem to be “a necessary but insufficient condition” for expanding workforce housing. 

The report was issued earlier this summer by the university’s Whitburn Center for Governance and Policy Research. It makes the case that “zoning reform” as well as engaging with public-private partnerships and state government programs are key to expanding workforce housing options. 

While zoning changes to allow developers more flexibility have helped create an “enabling environment” for housing expansion, authors say the success of such policies depend on other factors such as developer interest, financing and intergovernmental collaboration. 

READ THE REPORT HERE!

   ...Full Story Here

Leo's notes: The report’s proposed state-local partnership may be the more consequential takeaway. Pairing zoning reform with technical assistance, municipal incentives and coordinated financing could give smaller communities the capacity to actually use the housing tools Wisconsin...

Ken Notes: Leo and I have been advocating for a full team approach to taking on this problem for a while, from State and Local governments, to local builders and developers, to the dozens of organizations administering private, State, Local, and Federal funding - EVERYONE needs to sit down and focus on housing solution that bring our employees back to the ownership fold for workforce housing. OWNERSHIP is the key moving forward, we know how to build apartments, we know how to build 500K homes, we know how to make money, BUT we do not know how to bring our service, retail, and entry level workers into the home ownership market that will allow our economy to continue to thrive. We need entry level affordable housing for our workforce.

On July 11, the 21st Century ROAD to Housing Act (the Act) became law after President Trump declined to sign or veto the bill. The legislation is intended to increase the housing supply and improve housing affordability through a variety of reforms. Although the Act has many components, here are a few major changes that could affect the affordable housing and tax credit industry.

• Changes to Environmental Review Requirements...
• Changes to CDBG Funding...
  
• Changes for Planning Activities...
• Changes Still Possible, Elusive for BABA...
• Changes to Section 3 (Procurement) Requirements...

   ...Full Story Here

Leo's notes: As we’ve mentioned these last few weeks, the opportunity now is to translate federal reform into local production. The law will not solve high land, infrastructure and construction costs on its own, but reducing regulatory barriers and rewarding communities that actually add housing moves federal policy in the right direction: toward making it easier and less expensive to build the homes Wisconsin’s workforce needs...

EAU CLAIRE — As Eau Claire County is expected to grow in the coming years, one question is how public sector development will position the community in the future.

At an Eau Claire Area Chamber of Commerce forum, speakers and the audience were asked what the biggest housing need in the community is. Through a quick poll, a vast majority of audience members said they believe it is starter homes, and Eau Claire Community Development Director Aaron White agreed.

“Starter homes and affordable starter homes for an opportunity for that first-time homeownership is a real challenge in the community,” White said.

“We also need senior housing. We get a lot of inquiries from folks looking for 55-and-up type housing, wanting to downsize their home but not finding a place they can move to so they’re still living in a well oversized home that they don’t need anymore. And there’s just not enough of the homes for them to transition into in a reasonable way to make it effective or reasonable to do it.”

He also spoke to the challenge of building affordable housing in the Eau Claire area.


   ...Full Story Here

Leo's notes: Eau Claire-area leaders are raising an increasingly important question: when private development cannot meet community needs on its own, how active should the public sector become? The goal should not necessarily be for government to replace private developers, but to use public resources strategically enough to make needed projects feasible. Communities willing to assemble sites, finance infrastructure, reduce development risk or participate directly in projects may be better positioned to produce housing the market is otherwise failing to deliver.

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

   ...Full Story Here

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

New complex adds 40 new workforce housing units to Madison’s downtown

September 03, 2026 12:00 PM - Madison, Wisconsin – Madison Development Corporation (MDC), SSM Health, Lake Ridge Bank, and community partners celebrated the grand opening of The Bankston Apartments with a ribbon-cutting ceremony on September 3, 2026.

Located at 429 W. Mifflin Street, The Bankston Apartments brings 40 new homes to downtown Madison, including 30 apartments reserved for households earning at or below 80% of Dane County's Area Median Income. The development was made possible through a collaborative partnership among MDC, SSM Health, Lake Ridge Bank, and the Dane Workforce Housing Fund II. SSM Health's investment in The Bankston Apartments is part of the organization's broader impact investment strategy, which supports initiatives that address the social drivers of health and strengthen community well-being...

   ...Full Story Here

Leo's notes: The Bankston Apartments demonstrate how major employers can become active participants in solving the housing challenges affecting their workforce. When healthcare systems and other major employers treat attainable housing near jobs as workforce infrastructure—and invest accordingly—they can help projects move from concept to construction while strengthening employee recruitment, retention and community health. A win for all!

Ken Notes: The next step is homeownership!

PORTAGE, WIS. — Impact Seven, in partnership with Harmony Housing Partners, has selected McShane Construction Co. to build River Crossing, a 52-unit affordable housing community in Portage. Positioned on a 2-acre site at 2941 Hunters Trail, the development will consist of a podium-style building atop a one-level underground parking garage with 52 spaces. A portion of the units will accommodate adults with disabilities. Residents will have access to 13,000 square feet of amenities, including a community room, quiet lounge, media room, pet spa, fitness center and storage lockers. Completion is slated for October 2027. Continuum Architects + Planners is the architect, and General Engineering Co. is the civil engineer...

   ...Full Story Here

Leo's notes: Projects like this reinforce why Wisconsin’s housing strategy cannot stop at Madison and Milwaukee. Regional employment centers and smaller communities need sustained affordable and workforce housing production as well, particularly developments that provide enough unit and bedroom diversity to serve workers, families and residents with specialized housing needs.

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...