Viroqua Housing Advisory Board plans next steps for tiny homes and accessory dwellings

VIROQUA Wis. – The Viroqua Housing Advisory Board is charting a new course to expand local residential options after successfully guiding its first major ordinances through the city council.

Sonya Newenhouse, who serves as the chair of the newer city committee, explained during their recent July 30 meeting that the board was formed about two and a half years ago. She noted the group was established to find proactive solutions for all types of residential pressures, rather than just focusing on affordable housing. The board recently welcomed two new members to its ranks, including Ward 1 Alderperson Seth McClurg, who brings 25 years of construction experience, and Amanda Hautanen, a registered nurse with a master’s degree in public health.

Tanja Birke, the other city council representative on the board, noted that the group has faced a long journey. Birke explained that the board began its work just as Viroqua was initiating its comprehensive planning process, which heavily influenced their early discussions...

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Leo's notes: Viroqua’s continued exploration of tiny homes and accessory dwelling units reflects a growing recognition that expanding workforce housing requires a variety of housing types, not just large developments. By evaluating flexible, neighborhood-scale options, local leaders are building a more diverse housing toolkit that can improve affordability while preserving community character. Incremental housing solutions are becoming an increasingly important part of Wisconsin’s workforce housing strategy.

Ken Notes: Solving Wisconsin's workforce housing issues in like a large jigsaw puzzle and Tiny Homes and ADUs are just a few pieces but without them we will not have a complete picture.