Wisconsin Workforce Housing News


Ken Harwood
Advocating for Wisconsin
608.334.2174

Leonardo Silva
Architect / Full Service Design Firm
608.698.3522

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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

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PESHTIGO MOVES FORWARD WITH PLAN TO BUILD WORKFORCE HOUSING

A new workforce housing neighborhood could soon take shape along the Peshtigo River and city leaders say it’s about more than just building homes. It’s about keeping the community alive and growing. The City of Peshtigo is exploring two development concepts for a seven-acre parcel near Harbor Road, just south of the railroad tracks. The plans were created through the state’s Thrive Rural Wisconsin program, which helps rural communities tackle housing shortages. Officials say the goal is to create homes that teachers, nurses, firefighters, and young families can afford.

The proposed neighborhood would include smaller single-family homes along with duplexes and triplexes — part of what planners call “missing middle housing.” That means homes that are more affordable than new large houses, but not large apartment complexes. Both concepts include around 35 housing units, shared green space, walking paths, and a public riverfront park. Plans also call for a storm-resistant shelter that could double as a community gathering space. But building the neighborhood won’t be cheap...


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Leo’s notes: By focusing on “missing middle” homes that teachers, nurses, first responders, and young families can actually afford, the city is addressing the quiet crisis facing many rural communities: without attainable housing, employers can’t recruit, families can’t stay, and towns slowly hollow out. While the financing will require creativity and public-private partnership, the payoff is bigger than rooftops—it’s about sustaining Peshtigo’s workforce, strengthening its tax base, and ensuring the city remains a place where the next generation can live, work, and belong.

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Church to demolish existing worship space to build 110 units of affordable housing: `We`ve always been a place of refuge`

St. John’s Lutheran Church has sat on a downtown corner of Madison, Wisconsin — just three blocks from the state Capitol — for nearly 170 years.

But its leaders are now working to demolish it.

“St. John’s has always been a place focused on refuge, serving the poor, and meeting people where they are,” the church’s pastor, Rev. Peter Beeson, said in a fundraising video.

“Today, we`re looking at adapting our building in the most audacious way yet: by tearing it down to build 110 units of affordable housing, plus worship and community space.”

In the place of the old building will be a brand-new 10-story redevelopment, as Beeson described, home to a new worship space, offices, community spaces, and over 100 mostly low-income apartments, with a parking garage underneath...
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Leo’s notes: By choosing to replace underused space with 110 affordable homes, the congregation is responding directly to today’s most urgent need: safe, stable housing for working families and neighbors priced out of their own communities. As housing costs continue to outpace wages, projects like this show how mission-driven institutions can unlock land, align values with action, and help turn compassion into concrete solutions.

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Manufactured Home Owners Protection Bill Introduced

Madison, WI — Senator Jeff Smith (D–Brunswick) and Representative Jodi Emerson (D–Eau Claire) introduced comprehensive legislation to strengthen protections for residents of manufactured home communities and preserve one of Wisconsin’s last remaining sources of truly affordable housing.

“For many residents, especially seniors and retirees on fixed incomes, manufactured home communities are their only affordable housing option,” said Senator Smith. “Without protections, these individuals are forced to choose between unaffordable rent hikes or losing their homes entirely.”

The proposal, LRB-5763, addresses the unique challenges faced by residents of manufactured home communities, where individuals often own their homes but rent the land beneath them. Unlike traditional housing, many manufactured homes cannot be relocated due to high transportation costs or structural limitations, leaving residents with few options when rent increases or community sales occur...

...The legislation would:

  • Establish a right of first refusal for residents to purchase their community when a legitimate third-party offer is made.

  • Require advance notice and place limits on rent increases tied to inflation.

  • Provide tax incentives to support resident-owned community associations.

  • Strengthen regulations and oversight of manufactured home community operations
  • Impose penalties for violations of the law.

The bill has been circulated to members of the legislature for co-sponsorship before being referred to a committee for a public hearing.



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Leo’s notes: Manufactured home communities are one of Wisconsin’s last truly affordable housing options, especially for seniors and residents on fixed incomes—and new legislation aims to protect them before it’s too late. The proposal would curb predatory practices by large investors, limit excessive rent hikes, strengthen oversight, and give residents a real chance to purchase their communities when they come up for sale. This bill recognizes a hard truth: preserving affordability isn’t just about building new housing, it’s about protecting the housing we already have and the people who depend on it.

Ken Notes: I see an uphill battle here. I wish that communities could do more to control the new ownership of these facilities. The properties are being sold as cash cows to investors and looking at the numbers they are...

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Why is Kenosha one of America’s hottest housing markets?

KENOSHA, Wis. — February in Wisconsin is anything but hot, except when you are talking about the housing market.

According to data from Realtor.com, several Wisconsin cities rank among the top 20 hottest housing markets in the country, including Wausau, Appleton, Milwaukee, Janesville and Oshkosh.

Kenosha takes the top spot, ranked as Realtor.com’s Hottest Metro in the United States.

What You Need To Know

  • According to data from Realtor.com, several Wisconsin cities rank among the top 20 hottest housing markets in the country

  • Kenosha takes the top spot, ranked as Realtor.com’s Hottest Metro in the United States

  • The list is filled with midwestern cities, where demand for housing remains high, but the overall number of new builds is low compared to other regions of the country

  • In Kenosha County, population growth is stagnant (hovering around 170,000 residents since 2010)
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Wisconsin Workforce Housing Resources

ENABLING BETTER PLACES: A USER’S GUIDE TO WISCONSIN NEIGHBORHOOD AFFORDABILITY

 Wisconsin REALTORS® Association

WISCAP Affordable Housing Network

Division of Energy, Housing and Community Resources

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...

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Baldwin Secures Over $32 Million in Direct Support for 26 Projects in Southeast Wisconsin in Government Funding Bill

MADISON, Wis. — More than $32 million in federal funding will support projects in southeast Wisconsin, including affordable housing projects and training programs for craft construction workers.

The funding comes through a bipartisan federal spending package passed through the House of Representatives and was signed by President Donald Trump on Tuesday, which ended a three-day government shutdown. Last year, the government shut down for more than 40 days when a continuing resolution repeatedly halted in the Senate...


Here were the rest of the construction and workforce-related projects included in the round of funding.

  • University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee School of Nursing: $400,000 for the construction of a rehabilitation gym and lab simulation space.
  • Milwaukee Area Technical College: $500,000 for a higher education scholarship.
  • Concordia University, Inc.: $753,000 to improve current nursing facilities to increase enrollment to address workforce shortages.
  • Employ Milwaukee: $900,000 for youth career exploration.
  • Walworth County: $1,000,000 to renovate a vacant 30-bed skilled nursing unit to function as a Community Based Residential Facility.
  • Moraine Park Technical College: $1,325,000 to acquire robotics equipment to train students for modern manufacturing environments.
  • Milwaukee Metropolitan Sewerage District: $250,000 for a schoolyard renovation.

See Also:

Baldwin Secures Over $32 Million in Direct Support for 26 Projects in Southeast Wisconsin in Government Funding Bill


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Leo’s notes: The investments highlighted here go beyond bricks and mortar, pairing housing with job training, health care, and community services that help families put down roots. For communities grappling with rising costs and tight supply, this approach reflects a pragmatic path forward—one that treats workforce housing not as a niche program, but as essential economic infrastructure.

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Two stalled New Land projects could get financial support from Milwaukee

Two long-held projects in the Walker’s Point neighborhood are being considered for financial assistance by the city of Milwaukee.

The city of Milwaukee Department of City Development on Wednesday announced it was proposing the creation of two new tax incremental districts to support two housing projects proposed by Milwaukee-based New Land Enterprises. If approved, the TIDs combined would be worth $6.7 million and support the Via and Forma developments announced several years ago.

TID 130 will support the proposal for Via, located at South 5th and West Mineral Streets, and TID 131 will support the proposal for Forma, located at S. 4th and Florida Streets, DCD officials said. Both projects were eligible for tax incremental financing because they offered workforce housing for people at a certain level within the area median income. 

THE BLUEPRINT:

  • DCD proposed two tax incremental districts worth $6.7 million to support ‘ Via and Forma projects.

  • Via will create 82 units with commercial space, estimated at $23.7 million total cost.

  • Forma will offer 65 workforce housing units with indoor parking, with a project cost of about $17.9 million.

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Leo’s notes: By expanding TIF district assistance beyond deeply affordable housing to include workforce units, the city is signaling a pragmatic shift: growing Milwaukee means not only building more housing, but building the right kinds of homes in the right places to keep the city livable, inclusive, and economically resilient.

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Architect transforms historic Lodi school into senior housing and condominiums

The Brief:

  • A Middleton architect is converting a vacant Lodi school into 50 senior living units and 62 additional housing units

  • The former school has been empty since 2017 due to structural issues and hazardous materials

  • The project addresses a critical housing shortage in southern Wisconsin, particularly for seniors

LODI, Wis. — A Middleton architect with a passion for small-town Wisconsin is breathing new life into a historic Lodi property that has sat vacant for nearly a decade.

Steve Shulfer, a partner at Sketchworks Architecture in Middleton, is transforming the former Lodi school into "Primary Terrace," a mixed-use development that will provide much-needed housing for the community. The project includes 50 units of independent senior living, 13 townhome condominiums, and 49 apartment units.

The school has been empty since 2017 due to structural issues and hazardous materials, leaving the historic property in desperate need of renovation. Shulfer`s connection to Lodi runs deep, spanning 25 years of recreational visits to the area...


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DeForest Community Development Authority Awarded $150,000 State Grant

DeForest Community Development Authority Awarded $150,000 State Grant to Advance Redevelopment Project

DeForest, WI — The Community Development Authority (CDA) of the Village of DeForest has been awarded a $150,000 Site Assessment Grant from the Wisconsin Economic Development Corporation (WEDC) to support environmental assessment and site clearance activities for a redevelopment project in downtown DeForest.

The grant, awarded through WEDC’s Site Assessment Grant (SAG) Program, will fund environmental site investigations, demolition, asbestos abatement, and related assessment work at property located at the corner of Highway V and Main Street. These activities are a critical early step in preparing the site for construction of Yahara Crossing, a CDA-led mixed-use affordable housing development. 

Yahara Crossing is planned as a three-story, mixed-use development featuring 62 apartments and approximately 4,500 square feet of first-floor commercial space, along with underground parking, community space for residents, and rooftop solar infrastructure.    ...Full Story Here

Leo’s notes: Strategic investments like this—focused on reuse of underutilized land, mixed-use development, and long-term affordability—show how local leadership and state partnership can turn planning goals into real housing opportunities that strengthen both downtowns and communities.

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About Wisconsin Workforce Housing News (WWHNews.com)

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



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List of Housing Resources


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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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