Housing
Fast-growing communities rewriting zoning unclear on requirements of new housing programs
This summer, Wisconsin lawmakers created several programs aimed at making a dent in the state’s shortage of affordable housing. As those programs are rolled out by the Wisconsin Housing and Economic Development Authority (WHEDA), they face their first hurdle — the slow and politically thorny process of municipal zoning updates. The programs, signed into law […]
Lawmakers pitch legislative package to expand protections for Wisconsin renters
A Milwaukee pilot program that has provided legal representation to tenants facing eviction would go statewide under draft legislation that Democratic lawmakers began circulating last week to recruit cosponsors. The proposal is part of a package of nearly two dozen draft bills that senators and representatives have drawn up to establish stronger protections for tenants […]
Wisconsin Supreme Court limits online access to eviction records to two years
The Wisconsin Supreme Court voted Monday to reduce the amount of time some eviction records are publicly available on the state court website from 20 years to two years. In its first public administrative conference in more than a decade, the court’s four liberals voted to shorten the record keeping timeline, which tenants rights advocates […]
New Wisconsin Supreme Court meets for first time in hearing on eviction records rule change
The recently flipped Wisconsin Supreme Court met publicly for the first time Thursday, holding a hearing on a petition that would change court rules for how long evictions remain accessible on the state’s court access website. Since August, the court has been embroiled in controversy as the presence of new Justice Janet Protasiewicz gave liberals […]
Milwaukee landlord Berrada sues Tenants Union for defamation
One of Milwaukee’s biggest landlords is suing a local group of housing and tenants rights activists for defamation. Youssef “Joe” Berrada, who runs companies that own an estimated 8,000 Milwaukee-area rental units, is seeking damages against the Milwaukee Autonomous Tenants Union (MATU), after its members protested and made social media posts following a fire at […]
Gov. Evers signs package of legislation aimed at increasing housing stock
Gov. Tony Evers signed five bills into law Thursday that are aimed at increasing Wisconsin’s housing stock as a lack of supply continues to make housing scarce across the state. The bipartisan bills create or expand a number of loan programs through the Wisconsin Housing and Economic Development Authority (WHEDA). The product of negotiations between […]
Five bipartisan housing measures pass Legislature, head to governor
A package of bills aimed at making it easier for communities and developers to address a statewide shortage of affordable housing passed both houses of the Legislature Wednesday with broad bipartisan support. Several of the bills were shaped in consultation with the administration of Gov. Tony Evers, and Republican authors in the Assembly made a point […]
Bipartisan housing bills aim to close Wisconsin’s massive affordable housing gap
To address its growing shortage of affordable housing, Wisconsin needs to build 120,000 additional rental units, Elmer Moore Jr., CEO of the Wisconsin Housing and Economic Development Authority (WHEDA), told an Assembly committee at a public hearing Thursday. In an effort to encourage the massive increase in construction of affordable and workforce housing that is […]
Advocate has lukewarm reaction to report on legal aid for tenants facing eviction
Although a program in Milwaukee County that helped tenants facing eviction find legal representation saw major successes, local housing advocates feel that far more is needed. “It’s still kind of a drip in the bucket,” Joshua Taylor, an organizer with the Milwaukee Autonomous Tenants Union (MATU) told Wisconsin Examiner. “It’s a positive reform, but we […]
Mortgage rates are stabilizing but that may not be enough to help house hunters
Home prices are cooling off and mortgage rates fell last week, but the fallout from recent bank closures could continue to make it hard for some Americans to buy homes, economists say. Mortgage rates fell to 6.32% for a 30-year fixed rate mortgage, Freddie Mac data released March 30 shows. Last fall, the 30-year fixed […]
Madison homeless shelter and housing project gets federal support
A $50 million Dane County Salvation Army project to build a new homeless shelter and affordable housing apartment complex is getting $4 million in support from Washington in the 2023 federal budget. “This investment will expand access to affordable housing, safe shelter and critical support services for women and children experiencing homelessness in Dane County, […]
Republican legislators take aim at local zoning rules to address Wisconsin’s housing shortage
This week, Stevens Point residents attended a city council meeting to fight against a neighbor’s efforts to build an extension to their garage so their ailing in-laws have a place to move in. Earlier this year, Madison residents mounted a campaign against the city’s efforts to change zoning rules to allow higher density apartments near […]