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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

The Community Development Authority met April 16 for its monthly meeting at the Whitewater Municipal Building. Board members discussed various topics such as redevelopment resources, home renewal programs and Bluff Road properties.

Principal and CEO of Redevelopment Resources Kristin Fish-Peterson attended Thursday’s meeting to analyze the development resources’ economical-based data findings from both citizens and students in Whitewater.

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Leo's notes: Whitewater officials are advancing a mix of housing and redevelopment strategies, including a 14-home single-family project on Bluff Road, updates to a home renewal loan program, and efforts to remove deed restrictions that have limited residential development. Addressing barriers like outdated deed restrictions while investing in both new construction and existing housing stock will be critical if smaller communities like Whitewater want to retain residents and strengthen their local workforce.

Ken Notes: These meeting are happening across the state at most units of local government. We need to develop a set of legislative policy goals for both state and federal governments and talk to our elected officials to find flexible affordable solutions that work. Leo and I have several ideas and have been following projects across the state. We also know there are different needs in most communities. We need measurable outcomes and "in the dirt" solutions. We need ownership (equity building) opportunities for our service and retail workers. We need to partner with developers, builders, manufacturers, nonprofit organizations, and government entities to develop a variety of solutions and remove the obstacles, that will allow us provide the new and rehabbed homes we need moving forward.

Welcome to La Crosse Housing Week!

May 3 - May 9, 2026

This week-long series of free events highlights our community’s housing challenges, offering opportunities to learn, engage, and take part in solutions for the future. Join us.

La Crosse needs to build more than 200 new units of housing every year through 2030 to meet current demand. How will we get there?

Join local builders from both for-profit and nonprofit development as they share their front-line perspectives on the housing crisis. This conversation will dive into the real barriers slowing progress as well as the structural changes and innovations that could create a more accessible, affordable future for La Crosse...

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Ken Notes: Consider a summit in your community...

Democratic and Republican candidates in the 2026 race for governor of Wisconsin discuss what policies they would pursue to help address the high cost and limited supply of housing around the state.

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Leo's notes: From a housing perspective, the takeaway is less about differences and more about convergence: there is broad agreement that supply constraints—driven by regulation, cost, and underproduction—are at the core of the problem. The real test ahead will be execution: aligning state policy, local control, and funding mechanisms into a coordinated strategy that can meaningfully increase housing production across diverse Wisconsin markets.

Ken Notes: DO NOT allow the candidates to point fingers or cast blame on others. We need to work together on real solutions for very real problems. Ask the simple question, "Where does your Barista live?", why ask that, because if they do not have an answer they should be making their own damn coffee.

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
Wisconsin Housing Alliance	Office of Rural Prosperity Wisconsin Economic Development

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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...

The Sturgeon Bay Common Council on Tuesday night took steps toward expanding recreational access and addressing housing and infrastructure needs, approving a resolution to pursue federal funding while reviewing proposed updates to several tax increment districts.

Council members approved a resolution authorizing the city to apply for funding through the Federal Land and Water Conservation Fund. The grant application, to be submitted through the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources (DNR), focuses on city-owned property at 600 Nautical Drive and would support future outdoor recreation improvements.

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Leo's notes: Sturgeon Bay is advancing a coordinated development strategy that links housing, infrastructure, and public investment, including proposed updates to multiple TIDs supporting more than 100 housing units and key infrastructure expansions. From a housing perspective, I believe that communities that align TIF, infrastructure investment, and land use planning in this way are far better positioned to deliver housing at scale; all while maintaining long-term fiscal sustainability.

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Leo's notes: The project—now in WHEDA's tax credit pipeline—reflects a growing model where housing is integrated with culturally specific programming and community services. From a housing perspective, this is an important evolution/ solution: housing is being designed not just as shelter, but as a platform for community identity, stability, and cultural continuity. Projects like this also highlight a broader reality—without tools like LIHTC and layered financing, even innovative, mission-driven developments still hinge on closing complex funding gaps. Definitely a development worth following!

A 2023 report found Wisconsin needs around 200,000 new housing units to meet demand by 2030.

Forward Analytics, the nonpartisan research arm of the Wisconsin Counties Association, said in the 2023 report that Wisconsin needs between 140,000 and 227,000 new housing units.

Those differing estimates are based on population changes, migration to Wisconsin and other trends, such as whether young adults choose to live with parents. Forward Analytics concluded the total need is “200,000 or more” units.

The League of Wisconsin Municipalities, Wisconsin Realtors Association and Wisconsin Builders Association cite that 200,000 estimate as part of their joint effort to address the shortage...

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Leo's notes: Simply put, YES. Research from Forward Analytics and partners highlights a wide range (140,000–227,000 units), reinforcing that regardless of methodology, the gap is substantial and growing. This is not a marginal shortage—it’s a structural deficit. Closing a gap of this scale will require sustained, multi-year increases in production across all housing types, alongside policies that ensure affordability for the lowest-income households who face the most acute shortages.

Ken Notes: The links in the article work...

Hundreds of advocates toured six brand new homes, some built for families with early childhood educators, Friday

MILWAUKEE — Milwaukee's Community Development Alliance (CDA) showcased two single-family homes built for low-income families as part of its annual effort to highlight affordable housing initiatives in the city.

The CDA has organized these tours every year for the last three years to show partners, elected officials, Milwaukee residents and affordable housing advocates the kind of affordable, entry-level homes being constructed in the city. The organization also helped craft Milwaukee's Collective Affordable Housing Strategic Plan in 2021.

The plan aims to advance racial equity in home ownership by providing "a quality affordable home for every Milwaukeean", according to the CDA. It includes converting higher-rent homes and creating new rental properties for up to 32,000 families earning less than $50,000 annually...

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Leo's notes: Milwaukee’s Community Development Alliance’s efforts are part of a broader strategy to advance equitable homeownership, particularly for Black and Latino households, alongside rental preservation and affordability initiatives. This reinforces a critical point: production alone isn’t enough—access and stability matter just as much. CDA’s model shows that pairing new construction with homeowner support systems can begin to reverse long-standing inequities in homeownership and create more durable pathways to generational wealth.

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...