Onward We Go: Our Efforts in Coalition Building and Advocacy

What We’re Hearing About Wisconsin’s Housing Needs

by Tehila Cohen, Housing Field Organizer

Over the past few months, we have been engaging with diverse partners and organizations to better understand the local and statewide housing landscape. These initial meetings have been invaluable for gathering insights and identifying the shared priorities that will shape our future advocacy through the Housing Onward Wisconsin coalition.

Milwaukee NextGen Bus Tour: Johanna Jimenez (left), Policy and Advocacy Director at Community Development Alliance, pictured with Tehila Cohen (right).

Through these conversations, several key themes have emerged that highlight both the opportunities and the hurdles ahead. Some partners emphasized the need for greater adaptive financial flexibility. We’ve discussed making funding tools more adaptable, such as improving Tax Incremental Financing (TIF) rules and streamlining Wisconsin Housing and Economic Development Authority (WHEDA) allocations, or how the WHEDA qualified allocation plan (QAP) incentivizes projects. There is also an interest in making it easier to “layer” different funding sources to make Missing Middle Housing projects financially viable.

We heard an interest in zoning reforms, including upzoning, legalizing Accessory Dwelling Units (ADUs), and pre-approved plan catalogs to simplify the permitting process. These are steps that move the needle in a positive direction by reducing barriers to more housing. At the same time, we heard that zoning reform alone may not be enough to get units on the ground. Without dedicated budgets to build new housing or parallel reforms to building codes that favor either single-family homes or apartment complexes, the path to creating new housing remains challenging.

Beyond new construction, our conversations touched on the importance of resident stability through anti-displacement programs or a Tenant Opportunity to Purchase Act (TOPA). We also heard a voice to prioritize ADA accessibility and “visitability” standards, ensuring that any new housing we create serves everyone in our community. 

Tehila Cohen, Trevor Roark, and Ken Smith of 1000 Friends of Wisconsin visit Independence First in Milwaukee, Wisconsin.

Together, these meetings and solution-oriented conversations give us a real glimpse into the complexities of Wisconsin’s housing discourse. We are learning how to balance technical and financial solutions with grassroots community needs, and we plan to meet with many more organizations and stakeholders across the state to advance a unified advocacy strategy in the months ahead.

Let’s connect! Please reach out if you want to discuss housing or join our statewide coalition.

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