State Lawmakers Introduce Package of Bills Aimed at Addressing Wisconsin's Affordable Housing Crisis

Wednesday, May 24th, 2023 -- 9:01 AM

(By Joe Schulz, Wisconsin Public Radio) A bipartisan group of state lawmakers recently introduced a package of bills aimed at addressing Wisconsin’s affordable housing crisis.

According to Joe Schulz with Wisconsin Publi Radio, supporters of the legislation say the bills will target high construction costs through low- to zero-interest loans for certain housing projects, as well as make it easier for local governments to approve housing developments. The bills have received support from real estate, building groups, local government associations and public health associations.

"Nothing is the be-all and end-all or the perfect answer, but these address some very specific challenges and allow housing to move forward that otherwise wouldn't," said Jerry Deschane, executive director of the League of Wisconsin Municipalities. "It's not going to be the same in every community, but we think these different bills address very specific problems."

The package comes as Wisconsin needs to build at least 140,000 housing units by the end of the decade to keep pace with current demand, according to Forward Analytics, the research arm of the Wisconsin Counties Association.

State Sen. Romaine Quinn, R-Cameron, and University of Wisconsin-Madison Urban and Regional Planning professor Kurt Paulsen talked about the package last Friday on WisconsinEye.

Quinn, who cosponsored each of the bills, said the shortage negatively impacts quality of life, economic development, community growth and local school systems. The package contains several pieces of legislation that aim to ease construction costs for developers, and renovation costs for homeowners.

The bills would establish revolving loan funds for workforce and senior housing, Main Street housing rehabilitation and turning vacant commercial buildings into new residential developments.

Another bill would establish a low- to no-interest loan program for residents making improvements to homes built before 1980. All of those programs would be administered by the Wisconsin Housing and Economic Development Authority.

The revolving loan funds would offer no-interest loans and aim to provide more workforce or senior housing. Paulsen described workforce housing as homes that are affordable to the people working in a given community.

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