Talk about great timing: Just as the Southeastern Wisconsin Regional Planning Commission says it is close to releasing its plan to update its most recent regional housing study - - the 1975 report! - - along comes a push for more affordable housing in Waukesha.
Release and video here.
Waukesha County has a modest number of affordable housing units compared to Milwaukee, but that need will expand as the faltering economy and subprime mortgage mess increases home foreclosures.
And a larger number of working families in the suburbs will need access to housing options to stay relatively close to their jobs.
These issues were aired during the recent debate before the Milwaukee Common Council when the New Berlin water sale was on the table; New Berlin has about 80 affordable housing units - - nearly all for elderly residents - - and critics of the water deal felt New Berlin had not assertively built affordable housing while pursuing Lake Michigan water that would benefit new business development and upper-income subdivisions.
The Waukesha County affordable housing effort should definitely be folded into the SEWRPC study and it deserves continuing support across the region from fair housing and economic justice advocates.
Nice to hear that someone is organizing around the issue of getting housing in Waukesha that ordinary working people can afford.
ReplyDeleteThis post on "Water Blogged" http://waterbloggedinwaukesha.blogspot.com/2008/10/i-little-research-i-did-today.html lays out some data that indicates that the market--supply and demand--is at work and headed in the direction that may please those currently frozen out of housing that's affordable.
It is, however, a disaster for municipal, school and County budgets ;and portends much higher tax bills for homeowners.