ELEMENT THREE: HOUSING TABLE OF CONTENTS: I. BACKGROUND .........2 A. Homelessness ........5 B. Location of subsidized units ......6 C. Affordability .........7 D. Smart Growth ........10 E. Manufactured Housing .......11 II. INVENTORY & TRENDS ........13 A. Existing Housing Stock .......13 1. Age of Structure .......13 2. Type of Structure .......14 B. Value Characteristics .......15 1. Median Home Value .......15 2. Housing Costs as a Percentage of Income ...15 3. Median Rent ........17 C. Occupancy Characteristics .......18 1. Owner-occupied .......18 2. Seasonal Housing .......18 D. Demand Characteristics .......19 1. Median Age ........19 2. Persons per Household ......19 3. Projections ........19 ________________________________________________________________________________ Regional Comprehensive Plan Housing E. Housing-related Government Programs .....22 1. Department of Housing and Urban Development . 22 a. Section 8 .......23 b. HOME .......23 c. CDBG.......25 2. US Department of Agriculture – Rural Development . 26 3. Department of Housing and Intergovernmental Relations . 26 4. Wisconsin Housing and Economic Development Authority . 27 5. Local Programs .......27 III. GOALS, OBJECTIVES & RECOMMENDATIONS.....28 BIBLIOGRAPHY .........30 TABLES: Table 1: Subsidized Housing Units .......5 Table 2: Housing Units .........14 Table 3: Age of Structure ........15 Table 4: Type of Structure ........16 Table 5: Median Home Value ........17 Table 6: Median Rent .........18 Table 7: Owner Occupied Housing Units ......20 Table 8: Seasonal Housing Units .......21 Table 9: Median Age .........21 Table 10: Persons per Household .......22 Table 11: Housing Projections ........24 MAPS: Map 1: Low Income Tax Credit Housing ......8 DISPLAYS: Display 1: Age of Structure ........15 Display 2: Type of Structure ........16 ________________________________________________________________________________ Regional Comprehensive Plan Housing ATTACHMENTS: A: Housing Authorities .........32 B: Contact Information – HUD ........33 C: Contact Information – USDA-RD .......33 D: Contact Information – DHIR ........33 E: Contact Information — WHEDA .......33 ________________________________________________________________________________ Regional Comprehensive Plan Housing ELEMENT THREE: HOUSING This is the third of nine elements that comprise Three other planning goals are indirectly related the Regional Comprehensive Plan. This element to providing an adequate supply of affordable is based on the statutory requirement for a housing. These goals are: “compilation of objectives, policies, goals, maps and programs of the local government unit to 1) Promotion of the redevelopment of lands provide an adequate housing supply that meets with existing infrastructure and public existing and forecasted housing demand in the services and the maintenance and local governmental unit. The element shall rehabilitation of existing residential, assess the age, structural, value and occupancy commercial and industrial structures. characteristics of the local governmental unit’s housing stock. The element shall identify specific 2) Providing an adequate infrastructure and policies and programs that promote the public services and an adequate supply development of housing for residents of the local of developable land to meet existing and governmental unit and provide a range of future market demand for residential, housing choices that meet the needs of persons commercial and industrial uses. of all income levels and of all age groups and persons with special needs, policies and 3) Planning and development of land uses programs that promote the availability of land that create or preserve varied and unique for the development or redevelopment of low- urban and rural communities. income and moderate-income housing, and policies and programs to maintain or rehabilitate The element is organized into three basic the local governmental unit’s existing housing sections: Background, Inventory & Trends, and stock.” Goals, Objectives and Recommendations. In addition to other background information a This chapter of the Regional Comprehensive Plan series of interviews with individuals with special serves as the Housing element. As such, local knowledge of housing matters were conducted units of governments are encouraged to compare to provide an overview of issues affecting their objectives, policies, goals, and programs housing within the Region. There is also a to those within this regional comprehensive plan. survey of programs available to help local communities to meet their housing needs. The Comprehensive Planning Legislation also Because housing is a central component of daily establishes 14 state planning goals. Of these life, many other aspects of comprehensive 14 goals, one relates directly to this element. planning affect development of housing in any This goals is: community. 1) Providing an adequate supply of affordable housing for individuals of all income levels throughout each community. ________________________________________________________________________________ Regional Comprehensive Plan Page 1 Housing I. BACKGROUND seeks the adoption of new policies and practices that, as a package, Housing is a basic need for everyone. The provide better housing, availability of good housing is a central concern transportation, economic of any comprehensive planning effort. The expansion, and environmental housing component of A Development Guide outcomes than do traditional for North Central Wisconsin states: approaches to development.” “Identification and assessment of housing needs (Arigoni) is basic to developing effective planning policies and programs”. Much has changed in the way Moderately priced housing available to middle- that government, especially the federal income, working families is important to the government, deals with housing in the twenty needs of the poor, elderly, and disabled. The years since that was written, but the basic point availability of housing for workers can be an is still as true as it was then. From its high important factor in economic development. And point in the 1960s federal involvement in housing costs can involve more than purchase housing has declined in recent decades and has price. Transportation costs and the price of taken the form of greater local initiatives, and extending infrastructure to serve housing in involvement by non-governmental entities and undeveloped areas also impacts the overall cost the private sector. Beyond the reduction in of housing. The loss of open-space, funding levels, the emphasis has changed from environmental degradation, and the decline of centralized, top-down programs to locality- existing commercial districts can be a loss to all centered efforts focused on providing housing citizens. Compact development practices that through market forces. maximize the use of existing infrastructure, encourage a mix of land-uses, offer a range of Planning for the future of the Region requires a transportation options, and include housing comprehensive approach to assure that the affordable to residents of every income level housing needs of all segments of the population are all a part of Smart Growth. “Policies that are addressed. For low-income and special- reduce housing affordability are not smart. With needs populations, the disabled, homeless, its focus on the effect of development patterns victims of domestic abuse, this can involve and practices on the quantity and quality of programs that make housing available at below affordable housing, smart growth is a critical market rates. But there is more to affordable part of the solution” (Ibid). housing than meeting the needs of particular segments of society. Comprehensive planning There is a tension inherent between restrictions requires an integrated approach to housing; an on development patterns and limiting increases approach that provides housing opportunities in the cost of housing, but the tensions do not for all citizens without curtailing choice or necessarily preclude these two goals from economic development. coexisting. There are a number of policy approaches that can combine the goals of “Smart growth is development compact development with affordable housing. that serves the economy, the Land-use policies that encourage mixed use, community, and the environment. allowing employment, shopping and housing to In other words, smart growth locate in a single area, or that permit a range of housing types within a neighborhood can ________________________________________________________________________________ Regional Comprehensive Plan Page 2 Housing increase the availability of housing and reduce and tenancy information such as percentage of overall costs. Building codes that encourage owner occupied and seasonal properties. It will rehabilitation can increase the supply of also examine factors that will affect demand moderately priced housing in convenient for housing in the future such as age locations. Development in locations and at characteristics of the population, income levels density levels that support transportation and number of households. Special needs alternatives can make mixed use development populations, including the elderly and disabled, possible. will be noted. Factors affecting affordability will be highlighted. “To the extent that new job growth takes place on the A series of informal interviews with people who suburban fringe, rather than in have special knowledge of housing issues in the central business