A new action plan created by Dane County and partners says the county needs to produce roughly 7,000 housing units per year to meet existing needs and keep up with growth — 2,000 units more than what is currently produced annually, according to the Wisconsin State Journal.
The Dane County Regional Housing Strategy, a five-year action plan involving 17 municipalities and others, addresses the regional housing crisis, with priorities including:
-
Reducing racial disparities in housing and homeownership;
-
Building capacity to meet housing needs;
-
Enhancing partnerships; and
-
Building relationships.
An 80-person Housing Advisory Committee collaborated on a strategic planning process to create the Regional Housing Strategy (RHS) from September 2022–August 2023. The RHS formally launched the action plan with a Thursday evening event at Alliant Energy Center.
The plan prescribes Dane County’s production of 139,000 new housing units from 2020–2040 to keep up with demand. According to the plan, the county needs over 13,000 new rental units affordable to households making under 30% of the county’s median income as well as housing units that meet a range of resident needs — some for rental and for sale, some single-family homes, and some larger apartment buildings.
The action plan is aimed at supporting families locked out of homeownership; lower- and middle-wage workers with increased transportation costs and job turnover due to commutes from affordable housing outside the county; older adults in need of alternative housing options; lower-income households unable to balance the costs of rent, medical care, food, and other necessities; and young adults on the verge of homelessness.
