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 Despite recent changes to some of La Crosse’s city zoning rules, the development planned for Mayo Health Clinic employee living quarters struggled to adhere to any one zoning type. Thursday evening, the city council spent most of its discussion figuring out a solid path of approval for the project because it does not fit any city zoning regulations. Many council members turned to planning director Andrea Trane for additional advice on how to approve a project like this. Trane suggested the council’s decision was more about declaring the council’s satisfaction with the project itself over its direct adherence to zoning codes...
...Full Story Here
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 From April 28 through May 3, 2025, La Crosse Housing Week will offer a series of events and gatherings for community members to learn about local housing issues and how to get involved. Please join us! All events are free and open to the public. At each event, you’ll learn simple ways you can make change in the La Crosse community.
April 29, 2025 10:00 am - 11:00 am
Cleary & Friends Alumni Center
April 29, 2025 4:00 pm - 5:30 pm
The Nature Place
April 30, 2025 10:00 am - 11:30 am
La Crosse Public Library Main Branch
April 30, 2025 12:00 pm - 1:00 pm
Cappella Events Center
April 30, 2025 6:30 pm - 8:00 pm
Pump House Regional Arts Center
May 1, 2025 12:00 pm - 1:00 pm
La Crosse Public Library Main Branch
May 1, 2025 5:00 pm - 6:00 pm
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 PRAIRIE DU CHIEN, Wis. (WKBT) -- A new affordable housing development powered by solar energy celebrated its grand opening Monday in Prairie du Chien. Prairie Eco Cottages features 24 units ranging from one to three bedrooms, each with a garage. The development provides quality housing for income-eligible workers, seniors and residents with disabilities. The project is a collaboration between Couleecap, a nonprofit community action agency, and the Gerrard Corporation. Several organizations provided additional support, including the City of Prairie du Chien, the Wisconsin Housing and Economic Development Authority (WHEDA), Cinnaire, Department of Administration (DOA), the Federal Home Loan Bank Chicago, Solar for Good, and Focus on Energy...
SEE ALSO:
...Full Story Here
Leo`s notes: It’s inspiring to see a development like Prairie Eco-Cottages that truly understands the needs of the community. Affordable, sustainable housing options are essential for keeping our neighborhoods vibrant and welcoming to all. Projects like this show how thoughtful design can strengthen community ties and offer more people a place to call home. Thank you for investing in solutions that put people first!
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 UW–Madison Urban Planning Professor Kurt Paulsen said Gov. Tony Evers’ budget proposal to provide incentives to local governments for zoning changes would be an effective tool to bring more affordable housing to the state. But the chair of the Assembly Local Government Committee, Todd Novak, argued zoning incentives would not make a difference in supporting affordable housing. “I firmly believe zoning isn’t the issue,” the former Dodgeville mayor said. However, another Republican working on housing, Assembly Committee on Housing and Real Estate Chair Rob Brooks, R-Saukville, said “everybody thinks we need to address’’ zoning but said he would like some changes to the governor’s current proposal. The governor’s proposal would provide $20 million for a pilot program that would provide grants to local municipalities if they enact zoning changes to build more affordable housing. The changes Evers recommended include reducing minimum lot sizes and setback requirements for existing lots and adopting a neighborhood development ordinance: a set of regulations for a city guiding development, land use and subdivision...
...Full Story Here
Leo`s notes: Governor Evers’ proposal is a smart, much-needed step toward making housing more affordable for Wisconsin families. Modernizing zoning laws to allow for greater flexibility will help create more attainable homes, strengthen communities, and support our local economies. Affordability and access must be at the center of our growth — and this plan moves us in the right direction
Ken Notes: I promise zoning is an important PART of the problem but it is only a part. We need to work with developers and builders to address the rest of the issues. We need to build neighborhoods with homes for all income levels.
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Local housing study shows need to build 200-232 units every year through 2030As this spring construction season begins, La Crosse residents have
more options to help increase the housing stock in their city, thanks to
a new online library of building designs.
This comes after La Crosse passed an ordinance last year that allows
building accessory dwelling units, or ADUs, also known as “granny
flats.”
Lewis Kuhlman, the city’s environmental and sustainability planner, told WPR’s “Wisconsin Today” these units can be built on the same lot as a primary home...
...Full Story Here
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State`s low-income housing tax credit program may double under separate budget proposal A new bipartisan bill aims to incentivize housing developments in rural Wisconsin.
It’s one of a pair of new bills aiming to address the state’s housing shortage. The other would raise lending limits for low-interest loan programs launched in a bipartisan push last year.
The tax credit bill
directs the Wisconsin Housing and Economic Development Authority, or
WHEDA, to give 35 percent of its annual credits to developments in rural
areas and loosens financing restrictions for projects receiving
credits... See Also:
...Full Story Here
Ken Notes: What we need is a fund that allows communities to buy and provide infrastructure to new development and infill, then make the land available to developers deferring holding costs until the property sells. Communities would then either buy more land or repay the state. The community could plan for density, affordability, neighborhood design, mixed use, amenities... If you are wondering if this would work, industrial parks were built this way.
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 The USDA`s Rural Development agency has
provided billions of dollars each year to small towns, farmers and
businesses. Now staffing upheaval and budget cuts brought on by the
Trump administration may be eating into the agency’s effectiveness.
The U.S. Department of
Agriculture Rural Development is Washington’s chief tool to promote
economic growth in rural counties — providing funding for everything
from renovating old hospitals to providing faster internet service. Sometimes the agency sweeps in to clean up an urgent mess. For
instance, last year in Dunklin County, in Missouri’s Bootheel, a sewer
system failure sent raw sewage churning up out of residents’ toilets,
into their homes and flowing through their yards.
“We had to get this issue taken care of, and within a few weeks, we
had a million-dollar emergency grant for that wastewater plant that was
run in part by the county and in a city down there so they could start
fixing that as quickly as possible,” Kyle Wilkens said. ...Full Story Here
Ken Notes: A friend and an outstanding public servant announced today that she had taken the federal buyout and is leaving USDA. These programs have been instrumental in creating a housing agenda here in Wisconsin.
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 Wisconsin REALTORS® Association Releases March 2025 Real Estate ReportMadison, Wis. - The Wisconsin REALTORS® Association
(WRA) released its March 2025 Wisconsin Real Estate Report today,
revealing a double-digit decrease in existing home sales of 10.2%
compared to March 2024. Inventory supply remains well below what would
be considered a balanced market, and the median price of homes rose to
$300,500 in the first quarter of the year compared to the same period in
2024. However, affordability has improved after a re-benchmarking of
statewide median family income data showed positive growth. As a result,
the Wisconsin Housing Affordability Index increased by 7.2%. READ THE FULL REPORT HERE ...Full Story Here
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 The need for affordable housing in the United States has never been greater. After a dizzying run-up in residential real estate prices and rents in the last few years, housing costs are putting a financial squeeze on renters and homebuyers nationwide as they compete for a scarce, expensive supply of housing. Research from federal mortgage backer Freddie Mac estimates that the U.S. is short 3.7 million housing units relative to current market needs, while the National Association of Realtors pegs the figure even higher at 5.5 million units. Regardless of the precise number, it is clear that the U.S. housing supply is insufficient, creating more competition for fewer units...
...Full Story Here
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 The 15-year incumbent leader of Germantown lost his reelection bid last week amid opposition to several new housing developments in the Washington County village. Village president Dean Wolter netted only 38 percent of the vote. His opponent, former school board president Bob Soderberg, won 62 percent of the village’s votes.
The largest planned development in the area is the mixed-use Village Center project, which could bring shops, hundreds of new apartments and a German-themed marketplace to an intersection of two state highways.
Soderberg criticized the village’s process in planning that project.
“There’s a heightened sense of awareness of what’s going on,” Soderberg said of voters’ mood about planned development...
...Full Story Here
Ken Notes: If you can not house your service and retail workers you should not have retail and service businesses in your community...
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 What a mess. With rising construction costs and elevated interest rates, everyone at Milwaukee City Hall seems to agree that some amount of subsidy is necessary to create a supply of new affordable and workforce housing. But the how and when are proving to be elusive.
The issue came to a head Tuesday during a Zoning, Neighborhoods & Development Committee
meeting in an unusual three-way debate that featured the
administration, council and a developer all making their case publicly.
Two resolutions request the Department of City Development(DCD) finalize amendments to two Walker’s Point
tax incremental financing (TIF) districts. But the resolutions, as they
appear in the city’s legislative records system, are only titles....
Ken Notes: We need leadership from the state on this issues. Cities are trying their best but without direction they are struggling. Remember the basics Land, Infrastructure, Design, Size, Density, and Cost...
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 GREEN BAY, WI (WTAQ-WLUK) — Brown County’s Board of Supervisors voted Wednesday night to give the city of Green Bay $3.5 million for a new fire station and affordable housing. The project is at the former Badger Sheet Metal site in the 400 block of South Broadway. The building would be a combined fire station and a 200-unit apartment building. The county funds are from the American Rescue Plan Act. They need to be obligated before the end of September or have to be returned.... ...Full Story Here
Ken Notes: Mixing public use and affordable development is a great idea.
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 (The Center Square) – Home prices in Wisconsin continue to go up, and there continue to be fewer homes for sale. The March report from the Wisconsin Realtors Association shows a double-digit drop in home sales and a nearly 4% increase in the median price in the state. “Wisconsin home sales fell 10.2% compared to solid sales in March 2024,” the report noted. “[And] the median price rose 3.7% over the past 12 months to $310,000.” The median price is statewide, and homes in the Madison and WOW counties areas are much higher. Wisconsin’s price increases and number of homes for sale are not just a March problem, the report points out. March was also the end of the first quarter of 2025, and the numbers show a trend. ...Full Story Here
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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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 The alarm has been sounded for quite some time now on how Burnett County is facing an increased shortage of affordable homes, which is seriously affecting its ability to attract employees and maintain strong communities. Local leaders, employers, and state agencies are actively seeking solutions to this important issue, gaining ideas from successful models in neighboring counties. A Housing and Talent Attraction Seminar on Tuesday, March 25, in Siren highlighted the urgency of the situation; The seminar was a collaborative effort by local Chambers of Commerce and the Burnett County Tourism Coalition, highlighted the need for new ideas to ensure the county’s future success...
...Full Story Here
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 A Milwaukee developer will turn empty offices into 60 apartments in the historic Mitchell Building starting this summer. J. Jeffers & Co. announced on Tuesday it will renovate the nearly 150-year-old office building at 207 E. Michigan St., which has been continuously occupied by offices, businesses and a bank since it was built. The company will use state and federal historic tax credits to fuel a restoration project starting in the building’s interior. Exterior restoration is expected to start in spring 2026.... - J. Jeffers & Co. to convert historic Mitchell Building into 60 apartments, bank vaults included
- Exterior work begins spring 2026
- Project will use state and federal historic tax credits for restoration
...Full Story Here
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 MADISON, Wis. (WMTV) - A strip mall on Madison’s west side will soon be converted into an apartment complex with more than 75 affordable housing units and 25 units dedicated to people experiencing homelessness. The Dane County Board of Supervisors approved the project on April 10. A 124-unit apartment complex will replace the “White House Shoppes” at 6706-6714 Odana Road. District 19 Alder John Guequierre said with some of the shops vacant after the pandemic, the space provides an opportunity to prioritize families in need of affordable housing. “It’s particularly ideal because we have all the services we need here, we have the new BRT, so it’s very convenient for the people who will live here,” Guequierre said...
...Full Story Here
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 Seeking to help more low-income adults earn college degrees, a longtime academic program at the University of Wisconsin-Madison is urging a new housing model for its students. Leaders of the Odyssey Project say the shift is needed due to the rising costs of housing in the Madison area, which is the most common barrier to their students’ success. A city housing committee recently reported the median monthly rent in Madison is about $1,465. “We can talk about Socrates, Emily Dickinson and Martin Luther King, but what happens when you then go home and your home is your car?” said Emily Auerbach, the Odyssey Project’s executive director...
...Full Story Here
Leo`s Notes: Affordable housing tied to education is a powerful force for breaking generational poverty. When students have a safe, stable home, they can focus fully on building their future — and that lifts up entire families and communities. Every person deserves the chance to succeed without the crushing burden of housing insecurity. Investing in models like Family Scholar House isn’t just smart — it’s life-changing.
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A new bipartisan bill aims to incentivize housing developments in rural Wisconsin. It’s one of a pair of new bills aiming to address the state’s housing shortage. The other would raise lending limits for low-interest loan programs launched in a bipartisan push last year. The tax credit bill directs the Wisconsin Housing and Economic Development Authority, or WHEDA, to give 35 percent of its annual credits to developments in rural areas and loosens financing restrictions for projects receiving credits... ...Full Story Here
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Family Promise of the Great Rivers approaches community advocacy with rotational housing and other resourcesHomelessness is often seen as a big city problem. But rural and small town communities also face unemployment, limited access to affordable housing and poverty.
Last year, 217 people were unsheltered in west central Wisconsin, according to the Institute for Community Alliances.
A new homeless shelter in Monroe County recently opened their doors to those individuals and families in need to provide food, clothing, life skills and community support... ...Full Story Here
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 The City of Baraboo approved to commit $1.5 million to the renovation, as well as $5.5 million to Driftless Lofts, a planned 56-unit lower-income development with two- and three-bedroom apartments, during its March 11 Common Council meeting. Baraboo’s Community Development Authority, which owns Corson Square, is also looking to sell five affordable housing duplexes on the property to help fund the projects. Driftless Lofts is a roughly $17 million project, according to Ted Matkom, a representative for Oregon, Wisconsin-based developer Gorman and Company...
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 The Green Bay City Council on April 15 approved the Red Smith development project that has been met vocal opposition from neighbors over proposed apartments with the stipulation that developer Moski Corp. will not build more than the 160 units already proposed in its mixed-use development.
The additional language followed nearly 45 minutes of public comments sparring over many of the same points that have been brought up in previous city meetings on over 400 housing units proposed in Green Bay`s far northeast side. The need for affordable housing from several residents clashed with many neighbors` wishes to remain a neighborhood of single-family homes, worries of potential ecological damage, as well as traffic and safety concerns...
The Green Bay City Council approved the Red Smith
redevelopment project with a 160-unit apartment cap after facing
resident opposition.
Residents voiced concerns
about affordable housing needs conflicting with the desire to maintain a
single-family home neighborhood, potential environmental impact, and
traffic and safety issues.
The developer,
Moski Corp., assured the council of their commitment to the neighborhood
and emphasized the importance of diverse housing options...
...Full Story Here
Ken Notes: I say this every week, if you refuse to live near your barista you need to make your own damn coffee. We need more mixed neighborhoods and communities that house the workforce that sustains them.
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 In 2023, state lawmakers created three workforce housing programs they said would boost house construction around Wisconsin.
They didn’t work as well as legislators hoped.
Out of a total allocation of $475 million, only $16.4 million has made it to development projects to date... ...Full Story Here
Ken Notes: My "Fix"... Lend money to communities to buy land, design and zone for affordability, install infrastructure, solicit developers/builders to build smaller affordable homes, defer land and infrastructure cost until closing, then repay the city who either reinvests or returns funds to the state...
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 Additional funding builds on successful rental assistance program for Native American veterans
ONEIDA, Wis. – U.S. Housing and Urban Development
(HUD) Secretary Scott Turner today announced $2.2 million in new
available funding under the Tribal HUD-Veterans Affairs Supportive
Housing (VASH) program. This program delivers critical rental assistance
for Native American veterans who are – or who are risk of becoming –
homeless in Tribal communities across the nation. Secretary Turner made
the announcement after touring the Oneida Tribe reservation with
Congressman Tony Wied (R-WI-08) and visiting with Oneida Tribe
leadership. This expansion announcement is the result of
approximately $2.2 million in Fiscal Year (FY) 2017 funds that were not
exhausted and are now available for grants to support the expansion of
rental assistance for Native American Veterans who qualify. HUD invites
Tribes and Tribal Designated Housing Entities (TDHEs) to apply for this
expansion funding here...
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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 aggregate news and highlight programs that are working to provide affordable workforce housing in Wisconsin. We advocate for state and local policies that improve the more affordable housing markets. We encourage developers to build new homes that are affordable for those working for Wisconsin while still making a fair profit on the work they do. We encourage communities and neighborhoods to become partners in meeting these needs. We highlight what others have done as a form of "Best Practices" in the State and Country. Finally, we provide direct links to resources and programs in the State.
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. Safe, affordable housing makes a difference in the lives of children and families impacting both education and health. We are supporting affordable housing because it is good for business, good for families, good for communities, and good for Wisconsin.
Ken Harwood Editor / Publisher
Advocating for Wisconsin 608.334.2174 harwoodken[at]gmail.com
...Full Story Here
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WWHNEWS Notes: To add a resource or correct above send data and link to wwhnews.com[at]gmail.com...
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Start Week: 14 - Query String:SELECT * FROM wwh WHERE `issue` > 14 and volume = 25 OR `issue` > 90 ORDER BY sortorder
Wisconsin REALTORS® Association
