RHS Housing Strategy Spotlight
New Release!
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New! Best Practices Residential Zoning Code: Evaluation Guide to Address the Dane County
Housing Crisis
The RHS Housing Advisory Committee has identified updating zoning ordinances as a top priority to help address the housing crisis in Dane County. To support this effort, the Best Practices Residential Zoning Code (BPRZC) Guide was developed as a practical tool to help municipalities evaluate their current residential codes. Eight cities and villages served on the Advisory Committee to guide its development. The BPRZC includes a checklist and spreadsheet to help organize and facilitate thoughtful analysis and discussion of local zoning practices.
The focus of this BPRZC Guide is on addressing the extreme housing supply shortage and affordability crisis. It should be viewed as a tool to bring forward a wider variety of housing types, help to increase affordability, a more efficient use of land, and improve housing access and equity in Dane County. There are 3 sections:
Part 1 Zoning Evaluation Checklist
Part 2 Model Districts, Definitions, and Guidelines
Part 3 Guide to Streamlining Housing Approvals
Every community is different. Each municipality will discover what updates are appropriate for them and what changes they need in order to meet current and future housing demand. Several communities are currently in the process of updating their zoning codes, so may find the BPRZC Guide useful as well.
Please join us on Thursday, December 11, 2025, 3:00 - 4:00 pm, for the next RHN Webinar to get a more in-depth introduction to this new tool and guide. See below for details.
Download the Best Practices Residential Zoning Code Evaluation Guide and Evaluation Spreadsheet Here
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Regional Housing Network (RHN)
Double Feature Webinar— Please Join Us!
Thursday, December 11, 2025, 3:00-4:00PM
New Residential Zoning Code Guide to Address the Housing Crisis & New 2050 Dane County Population Projections
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Thursday, December 11, 2025, 3:00 pm, our next RHN Webinar will feature two presentations! Sonja Kruesel, Associate Planner, Vandewalle & Associates, will discuss the newly released Best Practices Residential Zoning Code Guide, and how zoning can be used to address Dane County's housing crisis and create a more affordable and diverse housing supply. Please join us for an interactive discussion and hear about more learning opportunities to come! All welcome!
In addition, Dane County Senior Planner Olivia Parry, Jason Valerius, CARPC Executive Director, and Sean Higgins, Senior Community Planner, will present on the newly released 2050 Dane County Population Projections, with an emphasis on the projections for cities and villages. Discussion will include an overview of the new projections, why they were created, and how they can be used as a helpful tool to make informed decisions when planning for current and future growth. We hope to see you there!
Zoom link: https://zoom.us/j/94310243246
| | Sun Prairie Selected to Participate in the
Housing Supply Accelerator Challenge | | |
On September 12, 2025, the American Planning Association and National League of Cities announced that Sun Prairie is one of sixteen communities selected to participate in the Housing Supply Accelerator Challenge— a program intended to implement innovative housing strategies that will expand the community’s supply of housing.
Communities participating in the challenge will spend 18 months working with housing supply experts through webinars, individualized technical assistance, and peer discussions that will improve local housing challenges. Sun Prairie and other selected communities will receive national recognition from both the American Planning Association and National League of Cities. For more information, contact Becky Binz, Housing Planner, City of Sun Prairie, at bbinz@cityofsunprairie.com, and stay tuned for updates as the program gets underway!
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State of Wisconsin Housing Trust Fund
Applications Still Open!
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The State of Wisconsin Department of Administration, Division of Energy, Housing, and Community Resources (DEHCR) has opened the application for the Housing Trust Fund (HTF).
The Housing Trust Fund provides grants to produce and preserve housing for low-income households. HTF funds can be used for the production or preservation of affordable housing through acquisition, new construction, reconstruction, and/or rehabilitation of rental housing. HTF assisted units are required to have a minimum affordability period of 30 years.
Approximately $6.5 millions of HTF funds are available to eligible nonprofit/for-profit developers, housing authorities, and Native American housing entities for this application period.
The deadline for applications is Monday, December 1st, 2025. Visit this link for more information about the Housing Trust Fund, and submit all questions to DOAHousingTrustFund@wisconsin.gov.
| | Housing Conferences and Events | | |
Sustain Dane Summit- Housing Panel
Friday, November 7, 2025
Monona Terrace (1 John Nolen Drive, Madison)
Join us at the Sustain Dane Summit on November 7, 2025, a conference for sustainability enthusiasts to learn, connect, share, reflect, and build new personal and professional skills. This year’s summit will feature a Housing & Sustainability session.
Housing is a cornerstone of community well-being, influencing everything from social connection and public health to economic stability and climate resilience. Affordable housing plays a vital role within this broader housing ecosystem, ensuring access and equity for all. This session will explore the relationship between housing and sustainability. We will explore collaborative approaches to both preserving existing homes and developing new homes that incorporate sustainability into local housing solutions.
A panel will share diverse perspectives: a visionary outlook for our housing future, the history and current housing challenges, and the implementation of local geothermal, weatherization, and other measures. There will also be time for participants to discuss what they would put on their sustainability scorecard for housing.
The panel, moderated by Abigail Corso, Chief Strategist at Elevate, will include:
· Elmer Moore, CEO and Executive Director, WHEDA
· Sarah Neujahr, Principal, New Year Investments
· Torrance Kramer, President, Accurate Airtight Exteriors
· Olivia Parry, Senior Planner, Dane County Planning and Development
Scholarships for event admission may be available based on financial need. Learn more and register here.
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How Housing Happens Conference
Wednesday, November 12-Thursday, November 13, 2025
Monona Terrace (1 John Nolen Drive, Madison)
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Register now for the Annual WHEDA Conference— How Housing Happens, taking place at the Monona Terrace on Wednesday, November 12 and Thursday, November 13, 2025. The conference will connect housing professionals across the state to learn about industry changes and work together to find new ways to expand affordable housing throughout Wisconsin.
The deadline for standard registration has passed, but the Last Chance General Admission is still available. Click here for more information and to register for the conference.
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Funder's Forum on Housing and Smart Growth
Thursday, November 13, 2025, 1:30-3:00PM
Fitchburg Public Library (5530 Lacy Road, Fitchburg)
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Join community leaders, lenders, builders, and housing advocates for a roundtable discussion on the need for down payment assistance to help first-time and moderate-income homebuyers achieve homeownership in Fitchburg.
Hear from local housing experts and practitioners about barriers and solutions to homeownership, and how down payment assistance can bridge the gap for families earning 80-120% AMI.
The panel will be moderated by Bill Connors, Executive Director of Smart Growth Madison, and will include:
· Julia Arata-Fratta, Mayor of Fitchburg
· Kristen Fish, Peterson Redevelopment Resources
· Tiffany Malone, Alvarado Group
· Chad Lawler, Madison Area Builders Association
· Olivia Parry, Senior Planner Dane County Planning and Development
Please RSVP here, and direct all questions to Loreen Gage, Housing Initiatives & Programs Specialist at loreen.gage@fitchburgwi.gov.
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