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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

Over the last year, we have worked with our partners at the League of Wisconsin Municipalities and the Wisconsin Homebuilders Association to bring you monthly reports under a coalition banner known as More Housing Wisconsin. The monthly reports written by Curt Witynski have been extremely insightful and helpful in understanding the root causes of Wisconsin’s housing crisis, and how to address it head-on.

February’s report, “What local governments must do to participate in WHEDA’s workforce and senior housing low interest loan programs,” is the 12th and final briefing paper in the series. We highly recommend you read it and share with those interested in helping increase the housing supply here in the Badger State.

Along with the reports are monthly interviews that Mr. Witynski conducts with local experts on Wisconsin’s housing dilemma. We also encourage you to watch and share these insightful voices that help shed light on how to tackle Wisconsin’s housing needs.

READ THE REPORT!

 

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Ken Notes: WRA is working hard on this issue. But we need developers at the table!

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Demand for services is `overwhelming` across the state, according to CEO

Local affiliates of Habitat for Humanity of Wisconsin are uniting in Green Bay to continue addressing the state’s affordable housing crisis.

For 40 years, the organization has served hundreds of low-income families as housing costs steadily rise across the state.

According to the Wisconsin Realtors Association, the median price of a home is $293,000...

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Ken Notes: I am Habitats number one fan, but we have to bring communities, developers and builders to the table to solve a problem that is simply too big for for one group. They have a mission and we must support them every way we can, but we also need to start building neighborhoods that embrace our baristas, the service and retail workers, those working and struggling to find a home to grow from.

TOWN OF ERIN, Wis. — There is a proposal to save a centuries-old church in the Town of Erin. However, not everyone is on board.

Developers want to build condos on the property of St. Patrick’s Catholic Church.

"I moved to Erin. I want to be in Erin because of the rural beauty that it is. Let`s not wreck that,” a resident said during public comment.

Currently, multifamily properties are not allowed in the Town of Erin. However, a local developer is hoping to change that.

"And suddenly, we`re a community of condo farms instead of the rural atmosphere that we have maintained," resident Patty Schwendtner said...

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Join City of Madison staff to reimagine the future of the pedestrian plaza areas on Mifflin and Carroll Streets where State Street meets the Capitol Square. Mifflin Plaza (formerly known as Philosophers` Grove) will be redesigned and rebuilt after construction of the adjacent Wisconsin History Center is completed.  Similarly, other phases will follow as redevelopment occurs, including a new Wisconsin Veterans Museum.

The first public meeting was held on January 30, 2025 and discussed the expanded scope of the redesign, future uses, design issues and examples of other public spaces. Meeting materials and a summary of comments and perpsectives shared.  City staff will compile comments heard in the meeting and in the survey response form in the coming weeks and post a meeting summary here.

Presentation slides

Meeting Video

Meeting questions (survey)

Meeting Comment Summary

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Milwaukee and other Wisconsin communities seeking to attract affordable housing by changing their zoning codes could be rewarded with grants from state taxpayers.

That`s through a provision in Gov. Tony Evers` 2025-27 budget proposal.

If approved by the Legislature, the $119 billion budget would include $20 million to encourage local governments "to adopt zoning changes that reduce barriers to the development of more affordable housing options."

The Wisconsin Department of Administration would operate the program. Local governments, including tribal nations, could compete for grants by adopting one or more zoning policies.

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Ken Notes: Housing could be the first step in rebuilding a bipartisan bridge for the people of Wisconsin.

MADISON (WKOW) – At Tuesday night’s meeting, the Madison Common Council will consider a series of changes to its zoning codes intended to encourage more development of “missing middle” housing. New polling from the REALTORS Association of South Central Wisconsin finds the proposed changes are broadly popular.

“Missing middle” is a term used to describe the kinds of housing between large apartment complexes and single family homes. These can include duplexes, townhomes, or lots with multiple units. These types of housing are less common than the density of apartments and condominiums prevalent in urban cores or the sprawl of single-family homes in suburban areas.

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LA CROSSE, Wis. (Public News Service) – The city of La Crosse is hoping a new online design library of Accessory Dwelling Units will help inspire residents to build one.

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Local experts say the housing crisis has just about eclipsed the need to attract new jobs to the area. The Carthage College Business and Professional Coalition will explore the problem in a luncheon that’s open to the public Thursday, February 27th. 

Panelists include S.R. Mills, CEO of Bear Property Development; Tim Case, director of development for the City of Kenosha and Jeff Towne, the community and economic development officer for the Wisconsin Housing and Economic Development Authority. 

The discussion will be moderated by Ron Cronovich, a Carthage economics professor who appeared recently on WGTD’s Morning Show. In a pre-event discussion with the panelists, Cronovich says he learned that the crisis is due to a combination of things: High mortgage rates and homes prices, and a low inventory.  This can lead to workers who find jobs in the Racine/Kenosha area having to live elsewhere. "We lose most of the economic benefits of the new jobs when we can`t provide a stock of housing available to the people who are taking those jobs," he said...

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Current Milwaukee Housing Market Trends: What`s Happening in 2025?

Home Sales

The Milwaukee area saw a solid increase in home sales in January. According to the Greater Milwaukee Association of REALTORS® (GMAR), home sales in the Metropolitan Milwaukee market rose by 7.1%, with 908 sales recorded. While not quite reaching the numbers seen between 2018 and 2022, this is a promising start to the year.

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Wisconsin home sales and prices continued to rise in 2024.

Year-end data from the Wisconsin Realtors Association found that, statewide, 2024 sales were up 4.7% from their 2023 levels, with 67,544 sales compared to 64,518.

The median price, meanwhile, rose 8.8% to $310,000.

In Dane County, year-end data shows sales rose 6.6% across the year, with 6,574 sales compared to 6,168 in 2023. The median home price rose 8%, to $443,000...   ...Full Story Here

Ken Notes: The simple answer to my favorite question, "Do you know where your barista lives?"... Answer Not in Dane County.

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...

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Two Republican members of the Wisconsin Legislature are seeking to expand the scope of the state’s low-income housing tax credit (LIHTC) program while also aiming to target more than one-third of its credits to the state’s rural areas. This is according to reporting at WisBusiness.

The state-based LIHTC program, administered by the Wisconsin Housing and Economic Development Authority (WHEDA), authorizes up to $42 million per year in income tax credits. The credits go to “owners and investors that develop or rehabilitate low-to-moderate-income housing,” the reporting explained.

The new bill seeks to increase that total to $100 million, but under the condition that at least 35% of the allocated credits every year go to rural parts of the state....   ...Full Story Here

Ken Notes: I wish this were being reported in a less partisan fashion context because in the surface it seems ok. Someone email us the downside in case I am missing something.

BELOIT, Wis. (WTVO) — On Thursday, Beloit’s empty Royce Elementary School was turned into housing for the homeless.

Next Steps, a program looking to capitalize on its name, is tackling homelessness in what it calls “a new approach.”

Program director Damonyka Roberts said, “Next Steps is bringing one, them into a home, and two, bringing the services to them. That way they can focus on supporting themselves and building some self-sufficiency.”

The initiative is part of the Next Steps Family Resilience Center, helping to house families by working with them to get them on their feet.

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Whether you’re looking for a home in Madison, Milwaukee, Kenosha, Racine, Green Bay or anywhere else in The Badger State, begin with the Wisconsin Housing and Economic Development Authority, which helps residents, including first-time homebuyers, secure affordable housing. Some of the larger municipalities in the state also offer homebuying assistance.   ...Full Story Here

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The housing authority has a new leadership team and is looking for a new director

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Real estate values nationwide could drop more than a trillion dollars across the U.S. over the next 30 years as climate change transforms the housing market, leading more Americans to move from areas prone to weather disasters, a new analysis has found. Weather disasters refers to increasingly frequent events such as sea level rise, intensifying heat waves, droughts, and floods, rather than the tornadoes and snowstorms seen in central Wisconsin.

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MONROE — To understand the Monroe real estate market as a home buyer, you need to watch current trends and predictions for 2025. This is especially important for developers looking to invest wisely. Monroe has changed a lot in recent years. There is now a higher demand for homes and commercial spaces. The demand mainly comes from new residents. They are drawn to Monroe’s small-town charm and its growing urban amenities.

“The 2025 market is going to be very similar to the 2024 market. We are going to have a shortage of inventory but rates should edge closer to 6%. Homes are going to appreciate at a 2-3% rate,” said Nate Lancaster, Broker/Owner EXP Advantage in Monroe.

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2025 is shaping up to be a year of renewed momentum in real estate: despite elevated mortgage rates and home prices, demand is rebounding—and some markets are emerging as standouts...   ...Full Story Here

Ken Notes: Video at the link...

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...