| Wisconsin Workforce Housing News | ||
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 | ||
| Click to Display / Share This Note - Vol: 10 - Wk: 100 Date: 6/15/2026 6:09:11 PM | ||
| Housing cost proposals from Wisconsin candidates for governor | ||
Leo's notes: While approaches differ, most candidates acknowledge that Wisconsin faces a significant housing shortage that is driving up both home prices and rents. The emerging consensus among candidates seems clear: Wisconsin's housing challenges can no longer be viewed as a local issue alone. Whether the proposed solutions focus on financing, zoning reform, infrastructure investment, or homeownership assistance, the discussion reflects growing recognition that housing affordability is fundamentally tied to workforce development, economic competitiveness, and population growth. The most effective long-term strategies will likely be those that expand housing supply across multiple price points while helping communities overcome the infrastructure and regulatory barriers that often prevent new housing from being built. Ken Notes: Some of the housing "markets" are already being addressed and do not need help. Higher end homes (say those over 400K) are doing well and do not need incentives. Federal programs are in place for subsidized lower income housing. The housing problem is then more focused on market rate affordable homes from both a price point (i.e. 200K to 400K) and type of units (missing middle). If we focus on this gap in the market we will find the rest of it will be OK. I was also disappointed not to see homeowner equity addressed by any of the candidates. | ||
| Click to Display / Share This Note - Vol: 26 - Wk: 25 Date: 6/15/2026 5:21:32 PM | ||
| Village President column: Housing has been on my mind | ||
Leo's notes: In an era where workforce shortages and housing shortages are increasingly intertwined, local leadership and a willingness to remove barriers can be just as important as financial incentives in moving projects from concept to construction. | ||
| Click to Display / Share This Note - Vol: 26 - Wk: 25 Date: 6/15/2026 5:33:19 PM | ||
| Builders, industry group share what encourages new home building | ||
Leo's notes: Builders cited elevated material costs, lot availability, and zoning requirements—particularly minimum lot sizes and density restrictions—as ongoing barriers to delivering workforce housing at attainable price points. Industry leaders are hopeful that recent state legislation and local zoning reforms will help expand opportunities for smaller, more affordable housing developments. Therefore, according to this article, the housing challenge is increasingly less about demand and more about the cost and complexity of delivering supply. While material and labor costs remain significant hurdles, local land-use policies often determine whether workforce housing can be built at all. Interesting first look into builder’s sentiments. Ken Notes: We need to partner with developers to build workforce housing with denser neighborhoods, nicer amenities, and well designed homes. We can do this but we need to thing differently about housing and neighborhoods. | ||
| Click to Display / Share This Note - Vol: 26 - Wk: 25 Date: 6/15/2026 5:41:56 PM | ||
| Wisconsin Workforce Housing Resources | ||
| Nate Notes: to be included as a Workforce Housing resource email us a link and a brief note to: wwhnews.com@gmail.com... | ||
| Click to Display / Share This Note - Vol: 10 - Wk: 125 Date: 4/6/2026 9:26:43 PM | ||
| What’s new in Wisconsin TIF: Key changes under Acts 173 and 235 | ||
Leo's notes: These reforms represent one of the most meaningful housing policy changes Wisconsin has enacted in recent years. While tax credits and grants often receive the most attention, local infrastructure costs frequently determine whether housing projects move forward. By expanding affordable housing TIF tools and creating Residential TIDs focused on smaller homes, Wisconsin is providing communities with new mechanisms to support starter homes and workforce housing. The real test will be whether municipalities embrace these tools proactively and align zoning, land-use planning, and infrastructure investments to convert policy changes into actual housing production. Ken Notes: We are getting closer to addressing the issues. Would still like to see provisions for public amenities and quality urban design and review. We need to build neighborhoods not just houses... | ||
| Click to Display / Share This Note - Vol: 26 - Wk: 25 Date: 6/15/2026 6:10:24 PM | ||
| Apartment Project Awarded Low-Income Housing Tax Credits | ||
Leo's notes: The project reflects a growing partnership between local governments and developers to address Door County’s persistent workforce housing shortage through public incentives and state housing programs. The LIHTC award from WHEDA highlights the importance of housing tax credits as one of the few tools capable of making affordable housing financially feasible in high-cost markets like Door County. Equally important is the role of local government partnership—from land contributions to development support—which can significantly improve a project's competitiveness for state funding. | ||
| Click to Display / Share This Note - Vol: 26 - Wk: 25 Date: 6/15/2026 5:29:59 PM | ||
| Baldwin leads bipartisan bill to lower housing costs for volunteer firefighters | ||
Leo's notes: The proposal highlights an often-overlooked connection between housing and community resilience. Many rural communities depend on volunteer firefighters, EMTs, and other first responders, yet housing shortages can make it difficult to recruit and retain these critical volunteers. Policies that align housing affordability with workforce and public safety needs recognize that housing is more than an economic issue—it is foundational infrastructure that supports the services communities rely on every day. Ken Notes: I understand focusing on a vertical market to acquire votes - BUT what about teachers and nurses - not to mention service and retail workers. We are advocating for all of these not to mention the Barista that makes your coffee... | ||
| Click to Display / Share This Note - Vol: 26 - Wk: 25 Date: 6/15/2026 6:04:28 PM | ||
| About Wisconsin Workforce Housing News (WWHNews.com) | ||
| Click to Display / Share This Note - Vol: 10 - Wk: 125 Date: 3/23/2026 9:49:04 PM | ||
| List of Housing Resources | ||
| WWHNEWS Notes: To add a resource or correct above send data and link to wwhnews.com[at]gmail.com... | ||
| Click to Display / Share This Note - Vol: 11 - Wk: 125 Date: 9/2/2025 7:30:59 PM |