Regional Housing News - October 7, 2024

Dane County Regional Housing Strategy (RHS)

Taking the next step together to address the housing crisis!

In The News

Don't miss it! Next RHN:

How to Make Your Community More Friendly to People of Color,

RHS Evaluation Checklist for Cities and Villages

Thursday, October 10, 3:00-4:00pm

Housing Strategy Spotlight - Missing Middle Housing

NEW! Missing Middle Housing 101 Fact Sheet

New Housing Financing - Apply Now!

Housing Events

Housing in the News

Don't miss it!

Next RHN:

How to Make Your Community More Friendly to People of Color,

RHS Checklist and Evaluation Guide for Cities & Villages

Thursday, October 10, 3:00-4:00pm

Please join us on Thursday, October 10 to hear from Dane County’s Manager of Policy and Program Improvement for the Office of Equity and Inclusion, Theola Carter, and Senior Planner, Olivia Parry, on “How to Make Your Community More Friendly to People of Color;” the first presentation of a new RHS series on racial equity and housing. Then learn about the launch of the new “RHS Checklist and Evaluation Guide for Cities & Villages” that includes strategies and action items identified in the RHS that cities and villages can use to inventory and assess municipal housing activities. See you soon!

Zoom link: https://zoom.us/j/94310243246

RHS Housing Strategy Spotlight

The core of the RHS Strategic Action Plan (2024-2028) are the top housing Priorities, Strategies and Action Items.

Each month we will spotlight strategies and action items based on one of the five housing priorities from the RHS Action Plan. Spotlights will vary and be relevant to different stakeholder groups including municipalities, non-profits, realtors, residents, developers, builders, financial institutions, employers. Pursuing these strategies is critical to solving the housing crisis. It will take all of us.

An annual RHS survey will go out in November to housing stakeholders and municipalities to track our progress. An RHS Progress Report will be shared at the RHS annual meeting in February, and online.

Missing Middle Housing

Dane County is experiencing a severe housing shortage. Missing Middle Housing is an important solution that can help add much needed housing stock.

What is missing middle housing?

“Missing middle housing” refers to residential building types that have more than one unit, but less than 20 units, approximately. It can be rental or owner-occupied with smaller units by square foot.

Missing middle housing types include duplexes, fourplexes, other small apartment buildings, townhouses, condominiums, and accessory dwelling units (ADUs) within residential areas. These housing types are similar in scale to detached single-family homes, but provide more housing units with the same amount of land and building materials.

Why is it missing?

There is a national shortage of these housing types due to various obstacles preventing their development, such as residential zoning regulations that prohibit smaller homes, apartment buildings, ADUs, townhomes, etc.

Demand for missing middle housing?

Dane County’s residents have varied housing needs depending on their household type, income and other factors. Housing markets are considered “healthy” when households are able to choose from a variety of housing types in locations that meet their needs.

The number of new households in Dane County was 8,000 higher than new housing units built from 2010 to 2020. There is a county-wide shortage of missing middle housing options including smaller multifamily rental buildings, as well as owner-occupied townhomes and condos. The county must produce approximately 7,000 new housing units per year, including missing middle units, to meet increasing demand.

The RHS includes various action items and metrics related to increasing the development of missing middle housing, including:

ACTION ITEMS:

Identify funding sources for local zoning amendments to better facilitate the creation of a variety and number of new of housing units

Update zoning codes to allow context-appropriate multifamily by right in certain residential zones

KEY METRIC:

Share of residential-zoned areas that permit up to four units per lot by right

Some Dane County municipalities have already made efforts to increase missing middle housing development where appropriate within their communities. For example, the City of Fitchburg implemented a SmartCode Zoning Ordinance, which established new zoning districts that allow a diverse range of small-scale multifamily housing types to be built by right.

Missing Middle Fact Sheet - Here

To learn more about missing middle housing, read the new RHS Fact Sheet: Missing Middle Housing 101! Examples of missing middle building types, obstacles to missing middle development, and recommendations for how to increase missing middle housing development are shared.

Download and share RHS fact sheets with your colleagues, neighbors, residents, or elected officials:

RHS FACT SHEET

ZONING 101 FACT SHEET

MISSING MIDDLE HOUSING 101 FACT SHEET

New Housing Financing

WHEDA Launches NEW Home Repair Loan Program!

WHEDA and Gov. Tony Evers officially announced the launch of the new More Like Home™ Repair and Renew Loan program ($50 million total) for eligible Wisconsin homeowners! The program provides low-interest loans between $5,000 and $50,000 to owners of houses that are over 40 years old (built before 1984). Homeowners can use these loans to finance crucial structural repairs and energy-efficiency updates such as roofing, insulation, plumbing, electrical, heating, and air conditioning. Loans can also be used for removal of environmental contaminants including lead paint, asbestos, mold, and other internal environmental contamination. Loans are available through WHEDA’s participating lenders.

Key qualifications:

Home must have been constructed at least 40 years prior to the date of application
Eligible property types include owner-occupied single-family homes, condos, 2-unit, or manufactured homes
Applicant must occupy the home as their primary residence
Income limits – Dane County residents must have an annual household income less than $176,260
Funds can be used only for qualifying repairs completed by a licensed and insured contractor

Think you qualify? Contact a participating lender today!

WHEDA's Affordable Housing and Infrastructure Loan Programs: Accepting Applications Now!

WHEDA has announced the next round of funding is open for applications for the Infrastructure Access, Restore Main Street, and Vacancy-to-Vitality competitive loan programs. Visit each loan program’s webpage for more information, or send your questions to home@wheda.com.

APPLICATIONS ARE DUE ON FRIDAY, OCTOBER 25, 2024, BY 11:59 P.M. CDT.

Housing Events

Please share this information with interested residents and community leaders!

FREE Homebuyer Education Classes

October 12 – December 14

Atrium Villager Mall

2300 S Park St., Madison, WI

Take the first step to owning a home and join the Home Buyers Round Table for their Home Buyer Education Workshop. This FREE Homebuyer Education workshop takes place in-person at the Atrium Villager Mall (2300 S Park St, Madison, WI), and lunch will be provided. Certificate of Completion is provided upon completion of class AND a one-on-one counseling session with Consumer Credit Counseling Services. You must attend the entire class (choose one) to sign up for a counseling session. This course is provided by a HUD Certified Housing Counseling Agency – Consumer Credit Counseling Service.

The workshop will cover:

How to find the right home
How to apply for a mortgage
Credit improvement tips
How much you can afford
Barriers that can prevent you from qualifying for a mortgage and
What down payment assistance may be available to you

Upcoming classes are being offered (choose one):

Saturday, October 12, 8:30am - 3:30pm
Saturday, November 9, 8:30am – 3:30pm
Saturday, December 14, 8:30am-3:30pm

Check the brochure here for more information, or register here now!

Landlord and Property Manager Event:

Addressing Mental Health with Tenants

Thursday, October 17, 8:30am Registration/Light Breakfast, 9:00am Program

United Way of Dane County

2059 Atwood Avenue

3rd Floor Evjue Board Rooms

Are you a landlord or property manager in Dane County? Please join Dane County’s Landlord/Property Manager Engagement Committee to hear from a panel of experts on how best to support tenants with accessing resources during a behavioral or mental health crisis.

Shining a Light on Homelessness in Dane County:

A Summit of Awareness and Action

November 12, 2024, 9:00am – 3:00pm

Alliant Energy Center

1919 Alliant Energy Way, Madison WI 53713

Join the Homeless Services Consortium of Dane County for an opportunity to learn more about rising homelessness in Dane County. Educational sessions, networking opportunities, and discussions with your fellow community members and elected officials. Help make homelessness a rare, brief, and one time experience!