This Weeks Articles for 9/21/2023 ...

1. New Resource Center Opens Doors to Mitigate Affordable Housing Struggles...
2. Old church finds new purpose as St. John’s Lutheran Church converts to affordable housing ...
3. REPORT: Wisconsin Housing Inventory Improves Slightly But Seller Advantage Continues...
4. Wisconsin City Named Among America`s 10 Most Affordable Lake Towns...
5. The Badger Herald Editorial Board: Fall 2023 issues to watch...
6. Trends Homes for Less Than $250K?! They Do Exist—Especially in These 10 Major Cities By Evan Wyloge...
7. How to actually solve Madison’s housing crisis...
8. US citizens can barely afford homes; another challenge......

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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

JONAH creates Eau Claire Tenant-Landlord Resource Center to educate and support community

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The Kenosha City Council overwhelmingly approved a new home ownership program in partnership with ULINE, with the city allocating up to $3 million in a matching fund.

Council members voted 14-1 for the effort with Ald. David Mau the sole vote against it. Alds. Kelly MacKay and Keith Rosenberg were absent from the meeting.

City staff have called the effort a effort a "once-in-a-generation investment" through a private donation of $3 million from ULINE. It required the commitment from the city to match the donation and leverage public and private resources to offer families home ownership in the community in the coming years...

See Also:

Uline donates millions to Kenosha for workforce housing programs

Kenosha officials could create programs to encourage new houses on lots in the center of the city under a $6 million effort that is half-funded by a donation from Uline Inc...

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Ken Notes: Read this! and allow me to be among the first to say Thank you to Uline for their contribution to this project.

St. John’s Lutheran Church, one of Madison’s oldest churches, is getting ready to tear down its current space and build a 10-story, 130-unit affordable apartment building. Real estate experts said the church is part of a wider trend of religious groups turning their underused property into housing to help combat a nationwide shortage.

The church is working with Mark Binkwoski, principal of MRB Holdings, LLC, and Janesville-based J.P. Cullen to demolish the church and create a mixed-use structure 310-322 E. Washington Ave. The plan includes 108 units for people making between 30-60% of the Dane County median income. When completed, the building will have 10,000 square feet of space on the first floor for the church congregation.

Construction will cost around $35.8 million, according to developers in an application to the city of Madison’s Affordable Housing Fund. The developer asked the city to give $3.5 million to support the project. St. John’s will get financing help from Dane County and the Wisconsin Housing and Economic Development Authority (WHEDA) as well....
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A joint venture of M&R Development and Campbell Capital Group has opened its 2929 on Mayfair community, a five-story luxury community in the Milwaukee suburb of Wauwatosa, Wisc.

Located at 2929 N. Mayfair Road, 20 minutes west of downtown Milwaukee, the 258-unit structure features studio, convertible and one-, two- and three-bedroom apartments. Units include modern two-tone cabinetry, nine-foot-high ceilings and subway tile in the bathroom, shower and tub, as well as French door refrigerators. A three-story clubhouse and attached courtyard includes a sun shelf. Stevens Construction was the general contractor on the project, while Poole & Poole Architecture was the architect...

https://www.2929onmayfair.com/

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Ken Notes: Some interesting design... This would be an excellent affordable condo project...

For the past 40 years, William Tisdale led the Metropolitan Milwaukee Fair Housing Council as president and CEO. After dedicating more than half of his life to the fair housing movement, Tisdale, 73, is ready to pass the baton.

Growing up in a working-class family in Rockford, Illinois, Tisdale knew early on that he was passionate about connecting people with resources. With parents who ended their education at a young age to take care of their families, he was determined to pursue his passion in college...

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Wisconsin REALTORS Association Releases Monthly Data for August 2023.

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Wisconsin Institute for Public Policy and Service	Let’s Get Started on Your Container Project / MODS.us	Help Sponsor
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Realtor.com compiled a list of the 10 most affordable lake towns in the country, analyzing towns within a half-mile of a named lake as well as the average listing prices, and Cheapism broke down the list by describing what each town has to offer.

According to the Cheapism, Two Rivers, located north of Milwaukee along Lake Michigan, is among the country`s most affordable lake towns. Known for its claim of being the birthplace of the ice cream sundae, this city with a population around 11,300 has a median housing list price of $139,900.

Here`s what the site had to say:

"Yes, this town`s name is `Two Rivers.` But its geography actually entails the point where the East Twin and West Twin rivers meet before they flow into Lake Michigan. And as far as Lake Michigan towns go, this charming Wisconsin town is just about as cheap as they come."

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Ken Notes: I am a fan, the bike trail, downtown, proximity to Door and Milwaukee -- not a bad place to dwell...

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..Madison housing crisis

The issue: As the student population at the University of Wisconsin and the city of Madison continues to grow, so does the housing crisis. The increase of luxury apartments such as The James and The Hub only add to the challenge of finding affordable housing downtown. The Madison City Council recently approved another housing development from developer Core Spaces, which will come to Johnson and Bassett by 2026. The development will contain no low-income housing, a measure that received criticism from some alders. 

What to watch: Luxury housing developers are likely to continue staking out the downtown Madison area as a viable housing development zone. UW’s response to the housing crisis was to admit a slightly smaller freshmen class in 2023 with the goal of reducing demand for off-campus housing in the future. Renters should consider what kinds of amenities they really need while living close to a campus that offers things like gym facilities, as these add-ons often drive up housing costs. With some luxury apartments reserving spaces for low-income renters and with prevalent attitudes that building more units will eventually relieve pressure of housing demand, students should continue to monitor housing affordability...

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Ken Notes: Can`t we as developer to build housing communities with an array of pricing options.

9. Milwaukee, WI

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Ken Notes: MKE has some nice properties and some great neighborhoods.

Aiming to reduce childhood lead exposure, the federal Environmental Protection Agency is proposing a rule that would require property owners to clean up any reportable amount of lead dust detected on floors and window sills at pre-1978 homes and child care facilities.

The proposal, announced in July, would lower the threshold of lead considered hazardous — and therefore requiring abatement — on floors and window sills. It would also lower dust-lead clearance levels: how much lead may linger for abatement to be considered complete.

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We don’t have to settle for half-measures and market-driven solutions.

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Ken Notes: You will have to sit down with developers and negotiate community developments with a variety of housing options. Taller buildings with affordable units on the lower floors. More condo and coop developments instead of apartments. Owner occupied retail. Tiny lots for tiny homes. The community will have to be partners like they are with virtually every large commercial and industrial development. Help developers help the community...

The lot overlooking the intersection of U.S. Highway 151 and Wisconsin Highway 19 in Sun Prairie currently sits empty. But on Friday, the Black Men Coalition of Dane County took steps to buy the 4.27-acre site to construct a low-cost apartment building for people who were formerly incarcerated or homeless.

The Black Men Coalition submitted a proof of funds — a document demonstrating to the landowner that the organization can provide the money it needs for the purchase — to buy the lot at 101 Communications Drive in Sun Prairie to build a 150-bed apartment development with reduced rates.

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Ken Notes: I love the idea of affordable homes coming with and educational component...

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	NRA Housing Needs By State / Wisconsin

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

OCONOMOWOC — The city of Oconomowoc has moved to repeal its fair housing ordinance due to "outdated and discriminatory language," according to a press release.

During the Tuesday Common Council meeting, aldermen voted to repeal Section 9.23 of the Municipal Code titled Fair Housing. The existing ordinance dates back to 1968.

According to the news release, concerns were raised about the wording of the ordinance, which was reviewed by the city attorney to determine that it was in compliance with state statutes in 1968, but in 2023 contains exceptions that "are now considered offensive."...
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Ken Notes: Take a look at your older statutes. One you may find language you didn`t remember was there and more importantly you may find was to improve your housing developments!

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A new report by Bloomberg highlights that low housing affordability in the United States is putting pressure on both prospective homebuyers and renters, with the potential of it becoming a significant issue in presidential politics.

Milwaukee, the largest city in the crucial swing state of Wisconsin, experienced a significant decline in housing affordability within its rental market over the year ending in July at a rate more than any metropolitan area in the United States, as per the National Association of Realtors.

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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...