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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

Key Points:

• The real estate company Redfin says Madison will be one of America`s hottest housing markets in 2026.
  
  
• The Great Lakes region has wide appeal because of affordability and being a `relatively safe haven` against climate change, the report says.
  
  
• Madison`s rapid growth is creating a housing crunch that city leaders are struggling to solve.
  
  
• Heat, wildfire smoke and flooding worsened by climate change still affect Madison.

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Leo’s notes: The city’s population is projected to grow 37% by 2050, yet Madison has not added housing nearly fast enough to match demand. Home values continue to climb, higher-income buyers are competing for the most affordable units. With mortgage rates expected to ease slightly and wages projected to outpace home prices next year, 2026 could offer a window to accelerate supply — but only if communities stay focused on expanding attainable, workforce-oriented housing rather than allowing demand to outstrip opportunity yet again.

Western Wisconsin Health (WWH) and St. Croix Valley Habitat for Humanity (SCV Habitat) are proud to announce a meaningful partnership aimed at improving community health by expanding access to safe, stable and affordable housing.

WWH has donated a parcel of land near the original Baldwin hospital site to SCV Habitat, supporting the construction of future Habitat homes for local families in need.

The organizations are currently working closely with the Village of Baldwin to finalize property access and development details, with plans to begin building in spring 2026.

Access to stable housing plays a critical role in overall well-being. According to studies highlighted by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), safe and affordable housing are directly linked to improved health outcomes, reduced health disparities, and greater health equity...

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Leo’s notes: Western Wisconsin Health’s land donation to St. Croix Valley Habitat for Humanity is more than a real-estate transfer — it’s a clear acknowledgment that housing is healthcare. By providing land for future Habitat homes in Baldwin, WWH is investing directly in community well-being and supporting the workforce that keeps rural health systems running. Research cited by the CDC underscores the impact: families who secure safe, affordable housing see fewer emergency visits, more primary care engagement, and better long-term health outcomes. As the median age of first-time homebuyers climbs to 40 and affordability pressures grow, partnerships like this offer a blueprint for how health systems and housing organizations can work together to build stability, resilience, and healthier communities across western Wisconsin.

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Leo’s notes: Green Bay’s decision to modernize its zoning code is a meaningful signal that housing affordability is being treated as a citywide priority, not a niche issue. By legalizing more housing types in more neighborhoods—while still retaining targeted safeguards for sustainability, downtown vitality, and public oversight—the city is acknowledging a simple reality: today’s housing shortage can’t be solved with yesterday’s rules. Zoning reform alone won’t fix affordability, but it removes a major barrier, giving builders, homeowners, and small businesses the flexibility needed to add homes incrementally and responsibly across the community.

As Madison leaders and developers seek to build the city’s stock of affordable housing, one nonprofit has sought to keep land affordable for community uses like housing and urban agriculture since 1991.

The Madison Area Community Land Trust plans to add affordable housing through several projects in the next few years, including 12 townhomes on the Voit Farms property on Madison’s east side. Those projects are meant to build on more than five dozen homes already in the trust, which are kept affordable through a unique model.

This month marked a transition for the organization, with Mason Cavell taking over from Olivia Williams as the trust’s new executive director. The outgoing and incoming leaders recently sat down with the Cap Times to discuss the area’s housing needs and the nonprofit’s goals, and to answer the question: What is a land trust anyway?...   ...Full Story Here

Leo’s notes: Through a model that separates land ownership from the home itself, MACLT ensures that every public dollar invested in affordability stays in the community forever — keeping homes attainable for families earning $50,000–$80,000. With new leadership in place and projects underway at Voit Farms and beyond, the land trust is expanding missing-middle options, supporting first-time buyers, and reducing displacement pressures by freezing land costs for future generations. In a moment when stability is increasingly out of reach, community land trusts offer one of the most durable pathways to affordable home ownership and long-term neighborhood resilience.

Ken Notes: It is the land and land owner the controls the development. Working with communities, Land Trusts could solve much of the workforce housing issues in the State by developing small clusters of homes, nice small well built architecture, great amenities and public space.

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Ken Notes:We have a newsletter that could use a grant, and while we preach to the choir -- it is a BIG choir...

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Leo’s notes: The Corliss marks a milestone for Wisconsin—proof that large-scale, collaborative investment can truly reshape a community. Transforming a former industrial site into 576 affordable homes, including 144 dedicated senior units, The Corliss stands as the largest private affordable housing development in state history and a model for inclusive, mixed-income growth. Backed by city, state, and private partners—from TIF support to brownfield financing—this project not only delivers critically needed homes for households earning up to 80% AMI, but also demonstrates how intentional public–private partnerships can turn long-neglected land into vibrant neighborhoods. As Milwaukee celebrates this achievement, The Corliss offers a powerful reminder: bold housing solutions are possible when every sector pulls in the same direction.

ROCKFORD, Ill. (WTVO) — The Beloit City Council has approved a $1.16 million contribution to push forward an affordable housing project, paving the way for a new apartment complex.

The Riverside Housing Project, which aims to deliver 55 low-income units, had faced a funding gap after failing to secure multiple financing grants. The recent contribution is seen as a major step forward for the project.



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Leo’s notes: Beloit’s decision to commit $1.16 million in TIF funds to keep the Riverside Housing Project moving is another reminder that affordable housing does not happen without public leadership. When gaps emerge—as they often do in workforce and low-income housing—local governments that step in help turn stalled plans into real homes for real people. With 55 units back on track, Beloit is reinforcing a simple truth playing out across Wisconsin: investing in housing is investing in economic stability, workforce retention, and the long-term health of the community.

The Milwaukee Public Museum (MPM) building could be demolished and replaced with a mixed-use residential development.

MPM Inc., the non-profit that runs the museum, is building a new facility at 1310 N. 6th St. MPM will close the existing museum at 800 W. Wells St. and open the Nature and Culture Museum of Wisconsin in 2027.

The building on W. Wells Street is owned by Milwaukee County, which hired consultants in 2024 to plan for the future of the empty building. The consultants GRAEF, Bear Real Estate Group and CG Schmidt are recommending the county demolish the building and market the site for mixed-use redevelopment, according to a report from the county’s Economic Development Division...

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Leo’s notes: Milwaukee’s soon-to-be-vacant Public Museum site could become one of the most consequential housing opportunities in the region. With museum operations moving to the new Nature and Culture Museum of Wisconsin in 2027, consultants are recommending the county demolish the aging, structurally failing Wells Street complex and open the 3.7-acre site to high-density, mixed-use residential development. Early concepts show the potential for up to 555 new homes, including market-rate, workforce, affordable, and student housing — a transformative scale at a moment when Milwaukee’s housing shortage continues to deepen. As Milwaukee County prepares to issue an RFP in mid-2026, this project represents exactly the kind of site where bold housing investments can reshape opportunity for the next generation.

The Corliss is a new private affordable housing development in Milwaukee’s Bay View neighborhood.

The development cost nearly $200 million, including some public funding, and offers over 500 affordable rental units. It consists of eight buildings at the site of a former landfill at 135 E. Becher Street.

Milwaukee`s District 14 Alderwoman Marina Dimitrijevic represents the area where The Corliss is located. She spoke with WUWM’s Eddie Morales about how the project could help address housing challenges.

Eddie Morales: The project aims to address problems like resident displacement, rising costs, and keeping aging residents in place. Can you explain the scale of those concerns and how much of an impact that city officials hope The Corliss will have?

Marina Dimitrijevic: Just like many cities across the United States, affordable housing is still something we`re really struggling with. We, as the City of Milwaukee, are thousands of units under what we need for a city our size when it comes to affordability. It`s one of the top things I hear, especially in my community.

This is a way to chip away at what is a very large-scale problem. And speaking of scale, this is a pretty large-scale project. It`s just under 600 units and every unit is affordable, meaning that it`ll be somewhat income-based. There is specifically over 100 units dedicated for older adults who want to age in place. So this is quite the right step in the right direction on what I do think will be a long worthwhile journey to making our city more affordable and accessible for everybody....

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Leo’s notes: The Corliss are not one-off solutions. If communities want teachers, service workers, seniors, and families to stay rooted where they live and work, affordable and workforce housing must become a sustained priority, not an exception.

In its third and last Community Grant cycle of the year, Alliant Energy and the Alliant Energy Foundation awarded over $980,000 to various causes and nonprofits across Iowa and Wisconsin. This brings the 2025 total Alliant Energy has awarded to over $2.28M. 

All Community Grant recipients seek to make an impact on Alliant Energy’s four focus areas: Community safety and engagement, environmental stewardship, hunger and housing and workforce readiness...

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Leo’s notes: As housing costs continue to climb across the region, philanthropic partners like Alliant Energy play an increasingly important role — not as a replacement for policy action, but as a catalyst that strengthens local safety nets and helps communities move closer to stable, attainable housing for all.

Robert Hensel, representing First Place Homes, told the Oshkosh Redevelopment Authority that his firm wants to buy the infill lot at 347 West 7th and build “workforce-type housing” aimed at first-time buyers who cannot afford typical new-construction prices.

Hensel said the project would rely on collaboration with the city and the RDA and named Legacy Homes (represented by Scott Overstrat) as a contractor partner. He said the homes would be designed to limit discretionary amenities and keep construction quality, not “cheapy” finishes: “We don’t intend to build cheapy homes, we intend to build quality homes,” Hensel said.

The developer proposed using income-eligibility screening similar to Habitat for Humanity and suggested deed restrictions or a second-mortgage recapture mechanism so gains from an early resale would return to the RDA to fund future homes. Hensel described the plan as a pilot that could scale to multiple infill lots if successful.

Board members asked technical and policy questions about accessibility, past precedents and how any resale recapture would be structured. One member asked whether the city or RDA already uses the proposed recapture mechanism; staff said not exactly, but noted similar language exists in other local programs and that staff would pull model language from existing Habitat Homes and Washington Avenue agreements...

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Leo’s notes: Oshkosh is taking an encouraging step toward expanding attainable homeownership, as the Redevelopment Authority signaled support for a pilot “workforce home” proposal on an infill lot at 347 W. 7th. First Place Homes and Legacy Homes are collaborating on a model that combines modest, quality construction with income-eligibility screening and resale-recapture safeguards to keep homes affordable over time—an approach similar to Habitat and other mission-driven builders.

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Housing everywhere is less affordable, but the affordability crisis is accelerating fastest in rural areas, according to an analysis by Redfin.

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Veterans Community Project provides temporary housing in 240-square-foot homes for veterans who stay an average of 335 days to address problems and implement a plan for independent living.

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Ken Notes: While our focus is workforce housing, solving the homeless issue should begin with Veterans. Imagine an amendment to the GI bill that states that GI`s will be able to find affordable housing in the US. Wisconsin has some working examples of these "villages".

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...

If village trustees were to extend the TID, the increment captured for the housing betterment fund would total approximately $700,000, according to Deputy Administrator Lauren Freeman....

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(The Center Square) – Wisconsin’s home sales report continues to sound like a broken record.

The Wisconsin Realtors released their latest report Thursday, showing October home prices were up, inventory lacked and affordability continues to be a problem.

“For the fifth straight month, both existing home sales and median prices increased statewide,” the report states. “October home closings rose 3.4% compared to October 2024, and the median price increased to $331,500, which is a 6.9% increase over the last 12 months.”...

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Middleton’s plan commission recommended against rezoning the property

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Notes:

A developer plans to build 40 rental houses in Milwaukee`s Amani neighborhood ? if the firm can obtain federal affordable housing tax credits.

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Leo’s notes: Milwaukee is taking another meaningful step toward rebuilding housing stability in long-disinvested neighborhoods, granting Emem Group exclusive negotiating rights on 40 city-owned parcels in Amani for a proposed affordable rental development. If awarded federal low-income housing tax credits this spring, the project would bring new homes to an area that has seen decades of vacancy and disinvestment — with long-term affordability requirements built in. At the same time, the city is launching a pilot to spur “missing middle” homeownership by providing lots and subsidies for replicable duplex, townhome, and small-scale infill designs.

Last winter, I got an intriguing story tip: Many Wisconsin manufactured home communities were operating with expired licenses. 

I didn’t initially know much about these communities, often called mobile home parks, where residents own their homes but rent the land they sit on. I quickly learned they provide a critical source of affordable housing in Wisconsin and beyond — the country’s largest portion of unsubsidized low-income housing. 

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Ken Notes: These parks could provide a new solution to affordable housing but currently they are being bought as investment properties with absentee landlords and ever increasing rents.

RACINE, WI — The former St. Nicholas Episcopal Church property at 2509 16th Street has been cleared for redevelopment, with construction of four affordable homes set to begin in 2026.

According to City Housing Manager Veronica Seymour, the City of Racine is partnering with Habitat for Humanity to build the new homes...

...The church, owned by the Episcopal Diocese of Milwaukee, had been vacant for several years and was in poor condition, prompting the city’s Community Development Authority (CDA) to consider its acquisition and redevelopment...

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Leo’s notes: Racine’s plan to replace the long-vacant St. Nicholas Episcopal Church with four new Habitat for Humanity homes is a small but meaningful step toward addressing the city’s estimated 3,500-unit housing shortfall. By leveraging federal HOME funds and partnering with Habitat, the city is turning an underused property into quality, ownership-ready housing that fits the neighborhood and serves income-eligible families. It’s another example of how thoughtful infill development — even at a modest scale — can strengthen communities, stabilize blocks, and expand opportunities for families priced out of the market.

The City of Madison’s Common Council has approved nearly $14 million from the Affordable Housing Fund to support the creation of approximately 425 new rental homes across the City, with more than 260 of those offering permanent affordability to lower-income households. 

This funding is the result of the Community Development Division’s annual Request for Proposals (RFP) for Affordable Rental Housing Developments, supporting development proposals that utilize federal low-income housing tax credits.


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NEENAH, Wis. (WBAY) - Froedtert ThedaCare is investing in the future of healthcare in Northeast Wisconsin. The health system is building new on-campus housing for medical residents at ThedaCare Medical Center-Neenah.

Approximately 56 townhouse units will be constructed in two phases on Doty Island. This housing will support ThedaCare’s graduate medical education program, which was accredited in September.

The program aims to train and retain physicians, addressing Wisconsin’s need for thousands more doctors by 2035...

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Ken Notes: This is an idea that could be used in a number of businesses. Housing and Skilled labor are two of the biggest concerns today...

The homes, whose owners are expected to move in by the end of 2025, are the second and third completed in Sister Bay by the Door County Housing Partnership, which also built five in Sturgeon Bay.

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Leo’s notes: These are the seventh and eighth homes completed by the Door County Housing Partnership — and part of what could become a 10-home affordable subdivision in Sister Bay. Using the community land trust model, the partnership keeps homes permanently affordable by retaining ownership of the land and selling the homes at below-market prices, supported by grants and donor subsidies. Families build equity responsibly while ensuring the homes remain attainable for future income-eligible buyers. With demand rising, a dollar-for-dollar match campaign is now underway to help build two more homes in 2026 — a clear reminder that sustained community investment is essential to expanding the region’s long-term affordable housing supply.

Act 78 clarifies and broadens tax credit eligibility, giving Wisconsin businesses more flexibility to invest in housing and childcare needs

MADISON, WI – Governor Tony Evers has signed a proposal introduced by State Rep. Dave Armstrong (R-Rice Lake) that will improve an incentive to Wisconsin businesses to invest in workforce housing and childcare.

Assembly Bill 280, which is now Act 78, builds on legislation Representative Armstrong successfully shepherded to the Governor’s desk last session.

“Wisconsin is in desperate need of affordable housing and childcare, both of which are critical to our economy,” Representative Armstrong said.

“People don’t want to work where they can’t afford to live and there’s no one to watch the kids. Last session, I introduced what became 2023 Act 143, which created an incentive for businesses to get some skin in the game by allowing them to claim the Business Development Tax Credit for up to 15% of their investments in workforce housing and childcare. However, after Act 143 took effect, I began to hear concerns from employers that the Wisconsin Economic Development Corporation was interpreting it more narrowly than I had intended, limiting the types of investments that could qualify.”

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Leo’s notes: By clarifying that businesses can receive tax credits for contributing to housing and childcare projects that benefit the broader community (including revolving loan funds), the state is expanding the toolbox without creating new bureaucracy. In a tight labor market where workers need places to live and families need reliable care, this flexibility helps align economic development with real-world workforce needs and reinforces housing as essential infrastructure, not a side issue.

RHINELANDER (WJFW) — While prices haven’t started falling and it’s still considered a seller’s market, the supply of houses is slowly growing as the Baby Boomer generation gets older.

David Clark, economics professor emeritus of Marquette University and economics consultant for the Wisconsin Relators Association, acknowledges the struggles of current home buyers.

“The real challenge is not on the demand side. There’s plenty of demand for housing but the real challenge is on the supply side,” he said. “There are simply more people who want to buy homes than there are homes for them to purchase.”...

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Ken Notes: For boomers to vacate the nice affordable homes they live in now, there will have to be nicer homes and communities to move into. We can do this but we need to plan and design neighborhoods that are attractive to those willing to move. Florida and Arizona Have been doing this for decades...

RHINELANDER (WJFW) -- Oneida County has faced a housing crisis in recent years, but a new planned development in Rhinelander will bring more living spaces to the area.

Just along highway 17 across from the Rhinelander Menards is an expected location of new apartment and townhome housing, thanks to Shorewest Realty and The Oneida County Economic Development corporation.

The Northwoods housing crisis has been a problem in the area for the last two decades. Businesses are having trouble finding employees as options for living spaces have been limited. Shorewest real estate agent Deb Mann explains the process for how this came to be...

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GREEN BAY, WI (WTAQ-WLUK) — Renovations at a decades-old public housing tower on Green Bay’s west side are officially complete.

A grand reopening ceremony was held Thursday to celebrate accessibility and energy-efficiency upgrades at Mason Manor. This eight-story, 152-unit apartment complex is located on Admiral Court in Green Bay. Constructed in 1972, the high-rise is listed on the National Register of Historic Places and remains the foundation of the Green Bay Housing Authority portfolio.

GBHA worked with Gorman & Company, a Wisconsin-based affordable housing firm, to execute the renovations, which took place in four phases over two years. The Wisconsin Housing and Economic Development Authority (WHEDA) served as a lending partner providing low income housing tax credits...

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Leo’s notes: The $25 million renovation of Green Bay’s Mason Manor is a reminder that preserving affordable housing is as important as building new units. By modernizing a 1972 high-rise—replacing plumbing, electrical, HVAC, and key accessibility features—Green Bay Housing Authority and Gorman & Company extended the life of 152 affordable homes for decades to come. In a growing city where demand continues to outpace supply, these projects are critical: revitalizing existing stock keeps residents housed, stabilizes neighborhoods, and protects affordability far more quickly than new construction alone can deliver.

Purchasing a home is one of the most important investments there is. More than a place to live, homeownership is an asset with the potential to tremendously rise in value. But with home prices reaching record heights, affordability plays a huge role for buyers.

The typical home value in the United States was $362,117 in October, 0.1% higher than the year before.

High mortgage rates are also making monthly payments more expensive; as of November 20, the 30-year fixed mortgage rate sits at 6.26%.

Although home prices have inflated all across the U.S., there are some cities that command a higher price tag than others. Location, size, age, and condition are all contributing factors to home value...

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Leo’s notes: Wisconsin’s latest home value rankings underscore what families and employers already feel: affordability is slipping fastest in the communities where opportunity is strongest. With typical home values topping $1.9 million in Oconomowoc Lake and half of the state’s most expensive cities clustered around Madison and Milwaukee, the divide between where people work and where they can afford to live continues to widen. These trends reinforce the urgency of expanding workforce and “missing middle” housing—because in far too many high-growth corridors, owning a home is drifting out of reach for the very people who keep these communities running.

An expansion of affordable housing took a step forward on Dec. 2 when the Sturgeon Bay Common Council agreed to commit $250,000 toward a proposed 60-unit apartment development on the city’s west side. 

The funding, drawn from the city’s affordable housing reserve, would support Gorman and Company’s project, Columbia Corner Apartments, contingent on the project securing low-income housing tax credits (LIHTC) from the Wisconsin Housing and Economic Development Authority (WHEDA).

The council approved a city Finance/Purchasing and Building Committee recommendation to allocate $250,000 in affordable housing funds for the project, which would be located northeast of the intersection of South Columbia Avenue and Green Bay Road.

Ted Matkom, the lead developer for the project, appeared remotely before the council about Gorman’s plans for the site, where the company has an option to purchase through Dec. 31, 2026...

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Leo`s notes: Sturgeon Bay’s decision to commit affordable housing funds to the proposed Columbia Corner Apartments underscores a growing recognition that workforce housing is essential community infrastructure, not a secondary amenity. This investment reflects foresight: aligning land use, financing tools, and state programs to turn a challenging site into homes that support the people who keep the community running.

HUD cuts could endanger housing for families, veterans, children

A proposed budget from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) that cuts funds which have meant the difference between shelter and homelessness for about 170,000 people nationwide has left communities scrambling. In Wisconsin, the cuts are projected to cause the loss of permanent housing for 2,379 people according to a report by the National Alliance to End Homelessness. The loss of funds would hit early in the new year, leaving local governments to absorb the fallout in the middle of winter. 

Korey Lundin, senior staff attorney at the National Housing Law Project and former staff attorney with Legal Action of Wisconsin, told the Wisconsin Examiner that the grants that HUD cut —  known as Continuum of Care (CoC) funds — “help thousands of people. That includes folks who have been recently unhoused.” In Wisconsin, 52% of permanent housing funding is covered by the CoC program...

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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...