Developer pitches workforce-housing pilot for 347 W. 7th; RDA asks staff to refine terms

Robert Hensel, representing First Place Homes, told the Oshkosh Redevelopment Authority that his firm wants to buy the infill lot at 347 West 7th and build “workforce-type housing” aimed at first-time buyers who cannot afford typical new-construction prices.

Hensel said the project would rely on collaboration with the city and the RDA and named Legacy Homes (represented by Scott Overstrat) as a contractor partner. He said the homes would be designed to limit discretionary amenities and keep construction quality, not “cheapy” finishes: “We don’t intend to build cheapy homes, we intend to build quality homes,” Hensel said.

The developer proposed using income-eligibility screening similar to Habitat for Humanity and suggested deed restrictions or a second-mortgage recapture mechanism so gains from an early resale would return to the RDA to fund future homes. Hensel described the plan as a pilot that could scale to multiple infill lots if successful.

Board members asked technical and policy questions about accessibility, past precedents and how any resale recapture would be structured. One member asked whether the city or RDA already uses the proposed recapture mechanism; staff said not exactly, but noted similar language exists in other local programs and that staff would pull model language from existing Habitat Homes and Washington Avenue agreements...

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Leo’s notes: Oshkosh is taking an encouraging step toward expanding attainable homeownership, as the Redevelopment Authority signaled support for a pilot “workforce home” proposal on an infill lot at 347 W. 7th. First Place Homes and Legacy Homes are collaborating on a model that combines modest, quality construction with income-eligibility screening and resale-recapture safeguards to keep homes affordable over time—an approach similar to Habitat and other mission-driven builders.